Name that Food: A #CYBILS2024 Foodie’s Booklist

Apparently, we love reading about food as much as we enjoy eating it. This year there are nearly 50 books that dish out a food-ish element.

Books with a food in the title.
Books with characters with food-y names.
Books about cooks and chefs.
Books about growing, eating, and making food.
Books that celebrate sharing food.
All of the above.

Today’s menu features books where a food is part of the book’s title and/or a character has a food-y name. Savor them. Tomorrow, we’ll serve up all the books where food is central to the story. If you want to dive into a feast of foodie books, we’ve got a book lists (yes, lists) filled with deliciousness at Bookshop.org.

A book included in this list doesn’t imply anything about its eligibility for a CYBILS Award, nor is it an endorsement.

This post contains buy links which earn the CYBILS Awards advertising fees through Bookshop.org and Amazon Associates.

Book covers link to Goodreads. Blurbs extracted from Goodreads.

Basil & Dahlia: A Tragical Tale of Sinister Sweetness

It’s hard to imagine things could get worse after one’s parents die in a greenhouse explosion. But that's just the beginning for Basil and his younger sister, Dahlia. They escape from the social worker who wants to split them up to different foster homes and find themselves lost in New York City. They wander into Cravings, the delectable bakery owned by disgraced celebrity chef Laurel Fox, who has a soft spot for them. Basil and Dahlia dare to hope their luck has changed at last, but can it be as simple as that?
Elementary/Middle-Grade Fiction nominee, 2024

Bibsy Cross and the Bad Apple

Most things are easy-peasy, regular-pegular for Bibsy Cross. Of all the things she loves, going to school might just top the list! Unfortunately, her teachery has Mrs. Stumper doesn't seem too keen on Bibsy. One day, when Bibsy talks a little too much, and goes a stone too far, Mrs. Stumper punishes her by punching a hole in her paper apple that hangs in the classroom. And Bibsy is devastated. How can she make the best science fair project when she feels so rotten?
Elementary/Middle-Grade Fiction nominee, 2024

Bright Red Fruit

No matter how hard Samira tries, she can’t shake her reputation. She’s never gotten the benefit of the doubt, but she is determined to have a perfect summer—until a scandalous rumor has her grounded and unable to leave her house. When Samira turns to a poetry forum for solace, she catches the eye of an older, charismatic poet named Horus. For the first time, Samira feels wanted. In this gripping coming-of-age novel, a young woman searches to find the balance between honoring her family, her artistry, and her authentic self.
Poetry Novel in Verse nomination, 2024

Bubble Gum Bison Needs a Bath (The Bison Family Series)

Bubble Gum Bison, Blue Bison’s little sister, is having too much fun with her playground associates to take time out for a bath. In fact, she escapes through the bathroom window to avoid the inevitable. But when Bubble Gum Bison slips in the mud, gets covered with bubble gum, and has bird feathers stuck all-over her, she finally decides its time for a bath. But, what’s this? There’s no water! Could Blue Bison’s ramming habit have anything to do with the hole in the water tank?
Fiction Picture Book submission, 2024

The Egg Incident

Humphrey is an egg. An egg with very overprotective parents. "Remember Humphrey; never run, never jump and never ever EVER sit on a wall. You remember what happened to your uncle…". Humphrey lives a very quiet and cautious life, until the day he bumps into Princess Jean (PJ) in the park. They are having so much fun they didn't realize the park was closing. Now, there's only one way out. Over. The. Wall!
Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novel submission, 2024

The Great Turkey Walk: A Graphic Novel Adaptation of the Classic Story of a Boy, His Dog and a Thousand Turkeys

Missouri 1860: Simon Green is a bad student. His mother is dead and his father has disappeared. But he’s daring, and so when he hears that turkeys fetch a higher price in Denver, he borrows his teacher's life savings and buys a herd of a thousand birds. Then he sets off on the thousand-mile trek with his dog and a pair of mules. To survive the odyssey that follows, Simon will need grit, luck and smarts—and a colorful cast of friends. This is Kathleen Karr’s 1998 middle-grade novel has been re-envisioned in graphic novel form.
Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novel submission, 2024

Ice Cream Everywhere: Sweet Stories from Around the Wor…

Everywhere you go, all around the world people are eating ice cream! And while some folks spoon up sundaes and some savor Syrian bouza--one thing is always ice cream is joy! Travel the globe and discover a mouthwatering selection of cold, creamy treats
Fiction Picture Book submission, 2024

Lucky Duck

Susan the duck has the worst luck. Her rollerskates are two sizes too big. She's lost her favorite marble. And she's run out of pickles. But with each unfortunate discovery, Wolf shows up with a gift she's won. Her luck has turned around . . . hasn't it? Come see just how lucky Susan is, in this slyly funny story about finding luck when you least expect it.
Fiction Picture Book submission, 2024

Meatball Man Head Detective: Case of the Missing Pepper…

Meatball Man is the Head Detective in Town-City, along with his best friends and fellow detectives, Cheese Stick and Bread Stick. When Sally the Salt Shaker barges into his office searching for her missing husband, Petey the Pepper Shaker. Meatball Man and his trusty detectives must follow the clues to bring Petey home.
EMG Speculative Fiction submission, 2024

Meet the Mushrooms!

Meet the mushrooms who peek through the die cuts on each page of this layered board book. Join them in the forest for a busy day of dancing, playing, and exploring—the more mushrooms, the merrier! With a gentle, rhyming text and adorable illustrations, this book is perfect for young mushroom enthusiasts.
Board Book submission, 2024

Mix a Pancake

The animal characters portrayed in Felix's expressive, child-friendly style convey irrepressible emotion and energy, while a basic recipe for pancakes presented at the outset lends an element of nonfiction to the lyrical text.
Board Book submission, 2024

Mixed-Up Mooncakes

It’s time for Ruby and her family to celebrate two extra-special harvest holidays. For the Mid-Autumn Festival, she and Nainai pick out fruit, nuts, and red chrysanthemums from the store. And with Zayde, Ruby buys a lulav and etrog from the market for Sukkot. But something is missing to truly combine these two celebrations. Can Ruby figure out the perfect way to blend the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival?
Fiction Picture Book submission, 2024

Mushrooms Know: Wisdom From Our Friends the Fungi

Mushrooms always wear their thinking caps. They know so many things. This vibrant and informative book shares the fascinating lessons that fungi can teach that small can be mighty, being unique is a reason to celebrate—and staying connected is key. Sara Gillingham’s lively art and Kallie George’s charming text captures the wondrous world of mushrooms, and everything we can learn from it.
Elementary Nonfiction nominee, 2024

No. 5 Bubblegum Street

There’s a lot happening inside the apartment building on Bubblegum Street. You can hear music playing and very loud snoring too. The delicious aroma of cake wafts through the stairwell, and there’s always something tapping, knocking, shuffling, and ringing… until 6:00 PM, when they all gather on the rooftop terrace for their weekly party to show off their talents.
Fiction Picture Book submission, 2024

Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice

Before there was Mufasa. or Darth Vader there was a boy names James Earl Jones who spoke with a stutter. Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. So he remained silent ... until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry.
Elementary Nonfiction nominee, 2024

Pizza Face: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes)

Sixth grade isn't as great as Rex thought it would be. He's the only kid who hasn't had a growth spurt, and the bullies won't let him forget it. His closest friend is unreliable, at best. And there's a cute girl in his class, who may or may not like him back. With so much going on, everything is a blur -- including Rex's vision! So when he discovers that he needs glasses, and his family can only afford the ugliest pair in the store, any hope Rex had of fitting in goes completely out of focus.
Elementary/Middle-Grade Graphic Novel nominee, 2024

Teeny Tiendas: The Fruit Shop/La frutería

In Mr. Manzano’s fruit shop, there are so many delicious kinds of fruit for sale— from peaches and plums to grapefruits and guavas! Learn their names in both English and Spanish, then pick your favorite for a sweet picnic in the park. Will you choose a tart star fruit/carambola? Or a juicy watermelon/sandía? They are all so yummy!
Board Book nominee, 2024

A Tempest of Tea (Blood and Tea, #1)

Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. When her establishment is threatened, Arthie strikes an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it. She can’t do the job alone, and with some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it.
YA Speculative Fiction nominee, 2024

There’s No Such Thing as Vegetables

Chester plans to have a salad for lunch, but in order to do that, he'll need vegetables. So, off he goes to the community garden, except he quickly learns that he won't be dressing a salad anytime soon. Instead, the vegetables start dressing him down. According to them, "vegetables" don't exist! Thanks to a lively, sassy cast of talking "veggies," Chester learns a valuable lesson about categories and how they shape our understanding of the world.
Elementary Nonfiction nominee, 2024

Who Laid These Eggs?: A Lift-the-Flap Book (An Animal T…

In this innovative nonfiction board book, young readers will see eggs in different environments on each spread. They can lift the flaps to discover all of the different animal nests and eggs—and learn a simple fact about each species. Featured creatures include robins, alligators, ostriches, salmon, butterflies, seagulls, snakes, and chickens, plus the kids who gather the eggs from the coop!
Board Book nominee, 2024

Wishbone

Ollie wishes things could be different. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn’t have to worry about paying for college. He wishes people would accept him for who he is. When Ollie and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name Wishbone. When they talk to Wishbone, everything Ollie and Mia wish for comes true, and it’s like all of their problems are solved. But magic comes at a price. Darkness is overtaking their world, and is threatening to take over Ollie, too. Can he let go of everything he’s ever wanted, or will he let evil win?
EMG Speculative Fiction submission, 2024

You’re the Pumpkin in My Pie

You’re my jack-o-lantern’s smile You’re the apple of my eye You’re my trick-or-treating candy You’re the pumpkin in my pie From changing leaves to sweet treats and from Halloween to Thanksgiving, the sweet sayings in this board book show little ones how very loved they are!
Board Book nominee, 2024

Name that Food: A #CYBILS2024 Foodie’s Booklist

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