Books About Cooking with Grandma (Plus One Starring Your Child)
In short: Cooking with Grandma is one of the warmest memories a child can have – and picture books about it make the kitchen feel like an adventure. Lovely choices for ages 3–7 include Thunder Cake, Pancakes for Breakfast and Bee-bim Bop!. In our personalized The Empty Soup, it's Grandma's birthday and your child cooks the soup – tasting every vegetable along the way.
Stirring, tasting, licking the spoon: little ones love "helping" in the kitchen, and grandparents love having them there. A story about it is a sweet way to start – or to remember – those afternoons.
Picture books about cooking with grandparents
- Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco – a grandmother turns a storm into a baking adventure.
- Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola – a wordless story about making pancakes from scratch.
- Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park – a family cooks a favorite Korean dish together.
- Dumpling Soup by Jama Kim Rattigan – a whole family making dumplings for New Year.
- Grandma's Tiny House by JaNay Brown-Wood – a counting book about a family feast.
- A personalized book where your child cooks for Grandma – below.
The Empty Soup: your child as Grandma's little chef
It's Grandma's birthday, and your child gets to cook the soup for the whole family. "No vegetables!" – so the soup tastes like nothing. One brave spoonful at a time, your child tastes carrots, peas, tomatoes and broccoli – and the soup becomes the best birthday present Grandma ever got. Your child is illustrated from one photo, with their name on every page. Ages 3–7; free cover preview; paperback $34.90, hardcover $44.90, e-book $12.99.
A gift from Grandma herself? Add a dedication: "To my favorite little chef – love, Grandma."
Easy recipes to cook together after reading
- Vegetable soup – kids wash and add the veggies, grown-ups cut.
- Pancakes – measuring, pouring and flipping (with help).
- Fruit salad – soft fruits with a butter knife.
- Cookies – rolling and cutting shapes.
Always supervise children around heat and knives.
More: gifts for grandkids · books about trying new foods
Questions parents ask
What are good books about cooking with Grandma?
Thunder Cake, Pancakes for Breakfast, Bee-bim Bop!, Dumpling Soup – and Fablewish's personalized The Empty Soup, where your child cooks Grandma's birthday soup.
Is The Empty Soup a good gift from a grandparent?
Yes. Grandma is part of the story, and you can add a dedication from her on the first page.
What age is The Empty Soup for?
Ages 3 to 7.