Best picture books for picky eaters
Only eats beige food? Pasta, toast and not much else? You are not doing anything wrong, and it is often a phase. A story away from the table can make new food feel less scary. These books talk about trying food with humour instead of pressure.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Our Amazon links go to Amazon UK (amazon.co.uk). This guide is run by Amor Picture Books (Nova Group), publisher of the Amor books. Our own books are marked Our book. How we choose.
How to use these books
- 1
Read about food away from the table
On the sofa after lunch works better than at dinner. The story stays fun when nobody has to eat anything.
- 2
Play food detective
Find the food in the pictures together: what colour is it, is it crunchy or soft, would it be loud to bite?
- 3
Swap pressure for curiosity
"You don't have to eat it. Can you tell me what it smells like?"
- 4
One safe food, one small taste
Put a food your child already likes on the plate next to a tiny taste of something new. No bite is required.
- 5
Let your child help
Washing peas, tearing lettuce or choosing a carrot in the shop makes food familiar before it reaches the plate.
The list
1. I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato
Lauren Child
- Age 1 - 5 years
- 32 pages
- Paperback
Charlie gets his fussy little sister Lola to try new food by giving it silly new names. Playful, no pressure.
Pick this one if your child loves silly made-up names.
View on Amazon UK2. Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss
- 64 pages
- Paperback
Sam-I-Am keeps offering until the food finally gets tried. A fun way to talk about trying again.
Pick this one if you want a funny rhyme about trying something one more time.
View on Amazon UK3. Bread and Jam for Frances
Russell Hoban
- Age 5 - 6 years
- 31 pages
- Paperback
Frances only wants bread and jam, until she gets it at every single meal. A gentle story for the 'only eats' phase.
Pick this one if your child wants the same one food at every meal right now.
View on Amazon UK4. Eat Your Peas
Kes Gray
- Age 3 - 5 years
- 32 pages
- Paperback
Daisy's mum offers bigger and bigger rewards for eating peas, with a twist at the end. Funny for parents too.
Pick this one if you want to laugh together about rewards for eating.
View on Amazon UK5. Oliver's Vegetables
Vivian French
- Age 6 - 11 years
- 32 pages
- Paperback
Oliver only wants chips, but in Grandpa's garden he finds other vegetables to try.
Pick this one if you can grow or pick vegetables together (Amazon UK lists it for older children).
View on Amazon UK6. Eating the Alphabet
Lois Ehlert
- Age Baby - 3 years
- 28 pages
- Board book
Bright fruits and vegetables from A to Z. Naming food together, away from the table, with no pressure to eat.
Pick this one if you want to name foods with a very young child, no story needed.
View on Amazon UK7. Yummy Yucky
Leslie Patricelli
- Age Baby - 3 years
- 24 pages
- Board book
Very short pairs of yummy and yucky things. Good for the youngest toddlers.
Pick this one if your youngest likes short, funny opposites.
View on Amazon UK8. Little Pea
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- Age 4 - 6 years
- 32 pages
- Board book
A little pea has to eat sweets for dinner before he gets his spinach dessert. A role reversal that makes toddlers laugh.
Pick this one if your child enjoys a world turned upside down.
View on Amazon UK9. Monsters Don't Eat Broccoli
Barbara Jean Hicks
- 40 pages
- Paperback
Monsters insist they never eat broccoli. Silly rhymes about green food.
Pick this one if your child likes monsters and silly rhymes.
View on Amazon UK
10. Amor and the Great Big NO! Our book
Samaher Thabit, Martin Törnell
- Age 3 - 8 years
- 34 pages
- Paperback
Rice, peas and carrots on the plate, a great big NO at the dinner table and a kitten who wants to help. A story, not a lecture, for children aged 3-8.
Pick this one if dinner time is where the NO happens in your house.
View on Amazon UK
Books with a "Publisher" link: age, pages and format come from the publisher's own page. Other ages come from the Amazon UK page for the edition linked. Pages and format refer to the edition linked. If we could not verify a detail, we leave it out. Details checked 26 Oct 2026.
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Questions parents ask
Can a picture book help a picky eater?
A story can make new food feel familiar and fun away from the table. It works best with no pressure to eat afterwards.
My toddler only eats beige food. Is that normal?
Many toddlers go through a phase of eating only a few foods. If you are worried about growth or health, talk to your health visitor or doctor.
What else can help with picky eating?
Keep offering small amounts of new food alongside food your child already likes. Exposure over time often matters more than any single meal.
Why is Amor and the Great Big NO! on this list?
It is our own book, for children aged 3-8. It starts with a full dinner plate and a big NO, so it fits this topic. We include it once and mark it clearly.