10 Picture Books About Cooking That Promote Patience

Picture books are my go-to resource when I’m looking for ways to support a curricular topic, classroom activity, or abstract concept with young children. After all, picture books are artfully crafted labors of love, created by dedicated and gifted authors and illustrators—the perfect co-teachers! 

One particularly challenging and abstract concept that young children struggle with is patience—to be honest, it’s a lifelong challenge for most adults. So, given this scenario, how can picture books help young children identify what patience looks and sounds like?

While there are numerous picture books written on the subject of patience, after many searches, I discovered 10 picture books that feature lessons in patience embedded in stories about cooking.

In the books listed below, young children don’t passively wait for a meal to be prepared and served; they’re encouraged and ultimately empowered by older family members to learn cooking skills and strategies. Simultaneously, they’re also guided toward corresponding wait-time activities during the cooking process to help with sustaining patience, such as playing games, resting, art, meditation, dancing, and storytelling.

Patience does double duty in these books, as children also need to learn to be patient with themselves as they practice and use trial and error to learn all that goes into meal preparation.

For educators, these picture books additionally support the early childhood curriculum as a combined STEM and social and emotional learning (SEL) resource. As a STEM model, they approach cooking as a multisensory procedural endeavor requiring persistence via problem-solving using trial and error; as an SEL (CASEL) model, the characters in these books do the following:

• Practice teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
• Reflect on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being
• Have a growth mindset
• Use planning and organizational skills
• Understand and express gratitude

Ultimately, and perhaps most important, these sweet and savory books are family stories. This collection allows young learners to perceive meal preparation and patience as intertwined ingredients in a celebratory meal. 

“Baking ka’ak requires patience and teamwork.”                                                                 —From The Night Before Eid: A Muslim Family Story

Today’s Specials

Soup Day, by Melissa Iwai. One snowy day, a mother and child select and prepare ingredients to make soup. While waiting for the soup to finish cooking, they engage in activities such as imaginative play, reading a story, and clean-up. The “Snowy Day Vegetable Soup” recipe is included at the end of the book. A corresponding collage activity is available on the author/illustrator’s website. (Preschool–kindergarten)

Almost Time, by Gary D. Schmidt and Elizabeth Stickney, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The primary ingredient in Ethan’s beloved maple syrup is tree sap. Ethan must wait, not just minutes or hours, but weeks and weeks for “sugaring time.” Ultimately, the time comes and Ethan and his father gather many buckets of sap to boil down and bottle into delicious syrup. (Preschool–grade two)

Masala Chai, Fast and Slow, by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Neha Rawat. Aarav does everything at full speed. His grandfather has a pace that is slow and steady. Making masala chai requires patience and waiting; can Aarav slow down just enough to make the delicious tea for his grandfather? (Preschool–grade two)

Bilal Cooks Daal, by Aisha Saeed, illustrated by Anoosha Syed. With Abu’s help, young Bilal and his friends learn how to make daal. They also have to pivot to many activities all day long to wait for the daal to be ready. “This dish takes patience,” Abu says. “This dish takes time.” The recipe for chana daal is included at the end of the book. Corresponding activities are available on the publisher’s website in the “Resources and Downloads” section. (Preschool–grade three)

Bubbie & Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (So Far!), by Sarah Lynne Reul. Even though Rivka and her Bubbie are equally inexperienced at cooking and certainly unqualified to make challah bread, they bring enthusiasm and persistence to the task. After multiple tries, they achieve success with their best loaf (so far!) A challah recipe is included in the book. (Preschool–grade three)

Dad Bakes, by Katie Yamasaki. In the very early morning a father heads to work at a bakery. Later that day, he and his daughter duplicate the process for making bread at home, interspersed with a variety of wait-time activities. A Behind the Scenes video is available on the publisher’s website. Corresponding activities are available on the author’s website. (Preschool–grade three)

The Night Before Eid: A Muslim Family Story, by Aya Khalil, illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh. Zain’s grandmother has come all the way from Egypt to visit. It is the night before Eid, and Zain and his mother and grandmother use ingredients brought all the way from Egypt to prepare traditional treats called ka’ak for Zain to share with his classmates. A “Simple Ka’ak Recipe” is included at the end of the book. (Preschool–grade three)

Okra Stew: A Gullah Geechee Family Celebration, by Natalie Daise. In the morning, Bobo and his father pick okra and tomatoes in the garden. In the afternoon Papa casts out a net at the creek to capture shrimp while Bobo collects shells. Back at home in the kitchen, Bobo and Papa prepare and cook okra stew, cornbread, and rice for the rest of the family. “My Okra Stew Recipe” is included at the end of the book. (Preschool–grade three)

Tofu Takes Time, by Helen H. Wu, illustrated by Julie Jarema. Lin and her grandmother, NaiNai, spend the day making tofu. It is a daylong process, and Lin struggles to be patient during all of the steps needed for its preparation. Ultimately, the entire family is rewarded when the tofu is finally ready at dinnertime. (Preschool–grade three)

May Your Life Be Deliciosa, by Michael Genhart, illustrated by Loris Lora. On Christmas Eve, Rosie and her family gather at Abuela’s house, where each family member has a part to play in making tamales. As Abuela explains each step of making tamales, she also shares corresponding blessings for the members of her family. (Kindergarten–grade two)