Here are 100 books that My Love for You Is Always fans have personally recommended if you like My Love for You Is Always. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Thank You, Omu!

Timothy Kleyn Author Of Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please!

From my list on food-centered picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, my family was a meat and potatoes family. The food was good but it was never really about the food. It was about eating together. When I got older, I ventured beyond the world of meat and potatoes, made more friends to eat with, and learned more and more to enjoy the little things in life. My two books are about food but also not really. They're community books. Family books. Adventure books. Same thing with the 5 books on my list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Timothy's book list on food-centered picture books

Timothy Kleyn Why Timothy loves this book

Ah! This book is so rich and wonderful! The illustrations are unique, textured, impactful, and balanced. The story is warm and fun, and I appreciate how it turns it around with the people sharing with Omu at the end.

The illustrations tell me, "Hey, this is a really good book!" and they do not lie. It deserves the awards it won. I just love how the story and illustrations are so simple yet so full. It's a classic.

By Oge Mora ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Thank You, Omu! as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A generous woman is rewarded by her community in this remarkable author-illustrator debut that's perfect for the Thanksgiving season, perfect for fans of Last Stop on Market Street.

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?

Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings a heartwarming story of sharing and community to life in colorful cut-paper designs as luscious as…


If you love My Love for You Is Always...

Book cover of A Foot is Not a Fish!

A Foot is Not a Fish! by Cornelia Maude Spelman,

In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.

This book playfully illustrates common truths by…

Book cover of Stay for Dinner

Timothy Kleyn Author Of Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please!

From my list on food-centered picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, my family was a meat and potatoes family. The food was good but it was never really about the food. It was about eating together. When I got older, I ventured beyond the world of meat and potatoes, made more friends to eat with, and learned more and more to enjoy the little things in life. My two books are about food but also not really. They're community books. Family books. Adventure books. Same thing with the 5 books on my list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Timothy's book list on food-centered picture books

Timothy Kleyn Why Timothy loves this book

This book has a beautiful message and beautiful illustrations. The words and colors are as warm as the meals the girl has with friends. The book tackles the tough subject of a girl feeling self-conscious about her family's food and culture, yet it's handled so smartly.

The whole book is just warm and beautiful. I find it inspirational to me as both an author and illustrator.

By Sandhya Parappukkaran , Michelle Pereira (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stay for Dinner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Stay for Dinner is a powerful story that celebrates culture and connection through food, from the creators of The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name, winner of the 2022 Children's Book Council of Australia's Award for New Illustrator.

Reshma loves dinnertime with her family. Her family eat with their hands - not just finger food type-eating, but hands-on squishy eating. When she's invited to stay for dinner at her friends' places, she finds out that they all eat in different ways. Some go ting ting with their cutlery, and others go click clack with their chopsticks. So what will…


Book cover of Hungry Roscoe

Timothy Kleyn Author Of Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please!

From my list on food-centered picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, my family was a meat and potatoes family. The food was good but it was never really about the food. It was about eating together. When I got older, I ventured beyond the world of meat and potatoes, made more friends to eat with, and learned more and more to enjoy the little things in life. My two books are about food but also not really. They're community books. Family books. Adventure books. Same thing with the 5 books on my list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Timothy's book list on food-centered picture books

Timothy Kleyn Why Timothy loves this book

Hungry Roscoe is hilarious. I love it. I always feel that humor is so important in picture books, and funny books were always my favorite as a young chap.

It has such a fun story, and I can imagine that it was a blast to illustrate. The pictures really push the humor. I had so much fun reading it, and I kept thinking, "Boy, this is great. I hope they stick the landing." And they really did! I love the ending. It's a really good book.

By David J. Plant ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hungry Roscoe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Roscoe is a hungry raccoon fed up with eating rotten junk out of the bins. What he wouldn't give for a lovely bit of fish or some fresh, juicy fruit -and where better to find food than at the zoo! An excellent idea, except for the grumpy zookeeper who's intent on keeping Roscoe OUT. But Roscoe's come up with a plan to disguise himself as a zoo animal. . . . What could go wrong?


If you love Gillian Sze...

Book cover of Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning, Paleontologist and the First Female Fossil Hunter

Jurassic Girl by Michele C. Hollow,

Not too many people know about Mary Anning. In 1811, at age 12, Mary lived on the Jurassic Coast where she unearthed a 17-foot fossil.

Many of the men in the scientific community called her a fraud. They didn’t believe a girl from a poor family could make such a…

Book cover of These Olive Trees

Timothy Kleyn Author Of Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please!

From my list on food-centered picture books.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, my family was a meat and potatoes family. The food was good but it was never really about the food. It was about eating together. When I got older, I ventured beyond the world of meat and potatoes, made more friends to eat with, and learned more and more to enjoy the little things in life. My two books are about food but also not really. They're community books. Family books. Adventure books. Same thing with the 5 books on my list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Timothy's book list on food-centered picture books

Timothy Kleyn Why Timothy loves this book

This is a powerful and beautiful book that captures the strength and culture of the Palestinian people. Some books feel like they must exist, and this is one of them.

I feel like food is such a great theme because you can really tackle heavy or tough subjects with it. This book does a good job of not sugarcoating that heaviness but being real about it and presenting it by using a focus of the olive trees and what that means to Palestinians. It takes skill to do that.

I really appreciate this book and it should be in every home.

By Aya Ghanameh ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked These Olive Trees as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

The story of a Palestinian family’s ties to the land, and how one young girl finds a way to care for her home, even as she says goodbye.

It’s 1967 in Nablus, Palestine.

Oraib loves the olive trees that grow outside the refugee camp where she lives. Each harvest, she and her mama pick the small fruits and she eagerly stomp stomp stomps on them to release their golden oil. Olives have always tied her family to the land, as Oraib learns from the stories Mama tells of a home before war.

But war has come to their door once…


Book cover of Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao

Wendy Kenny Author Of Sik-Sik's Summer: An Arctic Ground Squirrel Tale

From my list on reads to your kids that you'll also enjoy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved reading my whole life. So when I became a mom, I started reading to my kids pretty much as soon as they came home from the hospital. They absolutely love to have books read to them, and we have shelves full of picture books. My favorite picture books to read out loud are ones with eye-catching illustrations, witty stories that spark imagination or learning, and rhymes that flow rhythmically. As a bonus, if the characters lend themselves to fun voices, those are always winners. I hope you enjoy reading these books to your kids as much as I do.

Wendy's book list on reads to your kids that you'll also enjoy

Wendy Kenny Why Wendy loves this book

I can’t think of this book without picturing my own little girl when she was 3 years old with pigtails sticking out, just like Amy Wu.

She and I read this over and over again to the point that she could quote the whole book. It is such a sweet story about family traditions and pushing through the challenge it can be for little hands to learn how to do something new.

The story is precious and the illustrations are delightful.

By Kat Zhang , Charlene Chua (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Amy Wu and the Perfect Bao as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book of 2019

Meet the funny, fierce, and fearless Amy Wu, who is determined to make a perfect bao bun today. Can she rise to the occasion?

Amy loves to make bao with her family. But it takes skill to make the bao taste and look delicious. And her bao keep coming out all wrong.

Then she has an idea that may give her a second chance...Will Amy ever make the perfect bao?


Book cover of Grandpa Grumps

Robyn McGrath Author Of There's Always Room for One More

From my list on helping children connect with their grandparents.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer and child therapist, I believe in the importance of connecting with our families. Sometimes that means making sacrifices for our loved ones who need our support. When my parents moved to be near our family, we learned how to adapt to their changing needs. Like the books I choose, sometimes a grandparent moves in with you, sometimes you navigate them being grumpy, or other times you just listen to their wishes. But mostly, it’s just being there in the moment with a grandparent that opens our eyes, and heart, to something larger than ourselves.

Robyn's book list on helping children connect with their grandparents

Robyn McGrath Why Robyn loves this book

If you know a grumpy grandpa, you’ll enjoy this one!

Daisy is thrilled her grandpa is visiting from China. While Daisy has many fun things planned, her grandpa is well… grumpy! He likes things a certain way and Daisy can’t dissuade him otherwise. (I can relate to that!) That is, until she discovers what he really likes and helps make him feel right at home.

A fabulous picture book that explores connection and fosters an understanding of others.

By Katrina Moore , Xindi Yan (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Grandpa Grumps as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Daisy's Yeh-Yeh is visiting from China, and try as she might, Daisy can't get her grumpy grandpa to smile!

Daisy's Yeh-Yeh is visiting for the first time from China, and Daisy is so excited to meet him! She has big plans for all the fun they'll have together, like tea parties and snow angels, but when Yeh-Yeh arrives, Daisy finds him less jolly than she imagined. Throughout the week, she tries all sorts of things to get him past his grumpiness. Will she be able to make him smile before he goes home?

Kids will love this funny and heartwarming…


If you love My Love for You Is Always...

Book cover of From Cells to Ourselves: The Story of Evolution

From Cells to Ourselves by Gill Arbuthnott,

4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…

From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…

Book cover of Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu

Ana Velez Author Of The Three Little Guinea Pigs and the Andean Fox

From my list on retellings with characters out of character.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a Latina living in the US, I encounter stereotypes about me and my culture. I am sure I have my own blind spots around other cultures and people. So, I like stories that break traditional tropes. Initially, fairytales were dark and used as moral teaching tools full of warnings and fear. I prefer retellings that spread joy and challenge assumptions. Lastly, I love to discover new—real or imaginary—places through the illustrations and the artist’s point of view, especially if it influences the twist.

Ana's book list on retellings with characters out of character

Ana Velez Why Ana loves this book

Of the many retells I have read, this version turns the classic tale on its head the most. With my own reclusive artist tendencies, I found Ra Pu Zel’s wish for alone time to pursue her interests very alluring. I am always curious about new foods and I will set out to find stinky tofu in town, do I follow the smell? The art transports us to a setting with cultural and culinary delights.

By Ying Chang Compestine , Crystal Kung (illustrator) ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ra Pu Zel and the Stinky Tofu as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

A playful, feminist retelling of Rapunzel with a Chinese-cuisine twist

The story of Rapunzel where she’s being locked in a tower by a witch is a good one—but it’s not totally the truth.

The real story is about a young princess in China named Ra Pu Zel who doesn’t want to talk to princes or look proper. What Pu Zel wants is to cook and eat in peace, her long hair neatly braided to keep it out of her food. And when she gets tired of everyone telling her what to do, she locks herself in a tower with her…


Book cover of Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States

Ian MacAllen Author Of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American

From my list on when you’re hungering for history.

Why am I passionate about this?

My wife and I were at a red sauce joint in the West Village of Manhattan drinking a bit of wine when we posed the question: who invented all this? We knew Italian American food didn’t look all that much like the food we ate in Italy. Later, at home, I started Googling for answers. None were satisfactory. I read a few books before finding myself at the New York Public library sleuthing through JSTOR. After examining my notes, I said to myself, “oh, I guess I’m writing a book.”

Ian's book list on when you’re hungering for history

Ian MacAllen Why Ian loves this book

Chinese American food has a rich history, and Andrew Coe explores the arrival of the cuisine in America, how it adapts, and how it is popularized across the country. The book focuses on restaurant culture and recipes, and Coe explains the origins of many dishes like chop suey and how and when the dishes grew into mainstream success, part of a broader American cuisine. The way Coe discusses Chinese American food is similar to how I write about Italian American food in my book. 

By Andrew Coe ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Chop Suey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1784, passengers on the ship Empress of China became the first Americans to land in China, and the first to eat Chinese food. Today, the United States is home to more Chinese restaurants than any other ethnic cuisine. In this authoritative new history, author Andrew Coe traces the fascinating story of America's centuries-long encounter with Chinese food. CHOP SUEY tells how we went from believing that Chinese meals contained dogs and rats to making
regular pilgrimages to the neighborhood chop suey parlor. From China, the book follows the story to the American West, where both Chinese and their food…


If you love Gillian Sze...

Book cover of The Real Boys of the Civil War

The Real Boys of the Civil War by J. Arthur Moore,

The Real Boys of the Civil War is a research about the real boys who served during the war, opening with a historiography research paper about their history along with its 7-page source document. It then evolves into a series of collections of their stories by topic, concluding with a…

Book cover of Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food

Benjamin Young Author Of Stinking Philosophy!: Smell Perception, Cognition, and Consciousness

From my list on smell and flavor.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been infatuated with smells, as many childhood photos of me with my nose stuck in something can prove. However, I did not consider studying olfaction as a primary area of research until mid-way through my PhD. As a full-time student, part-time lecturer, and primary caregiver to an inquisitive, energetic toddler at that time, I needed to gain a background understanding of smell as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thus began my obsession with books on smell, taste, and flavor. At the start of the millennia, the area was still small and has since blossomed, allowing me to continue to read books about smell for pleasure in my downtime. 

Benjamin's book list on smell and flavor

Benjamin Young Why Benjamin loves this book

This is one of my favorite books about food in the past couple of years. Chinese cuisine has always fascinated me based on its breadth of styles, techniques, and depth of flavor. Not to mention that Chinese takeout generates some of my strongest autobiographic olfactory memories from childhood. Yet, until this book, learning about Chinese food has always been daunting to me.

Dunlop’s enjoyable coverage provides a wonderful overview of the difference between regional cuisines, use of ingredients, flavors, cooking techniques, and philosophy of food. It was not just a true joy to read, but it also inspired me to try cooking at home. And luckily, Dunlop’s got that covered as well with Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking.

By Fuchsia Dunlop ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Invitation to a Banquet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Chinese was the earliest truly global cuisine. When the first Chinese laborers began to settle abroad, restaurants appeared in their wake. Yet Chinese has the curious distinction of being both one of the world's best-loved culinary traditions and one of the least understood. For more than a century, the overwhelming dominance of a simplified form of Cantonese cooking ensured that few foreigners experienced anything of its richness and sophistication-but today that is beginning to change.

In Invitation to a Banquet, award-winning cook and writer Fuchsia Dunlop explores the history, philosophy, and techniques of Chinese culinary culture. In each chapter, she…


Book cover of Thank You, Omu!
Book cover of Stay for Dinner
Book cover of Hungry Roscoe

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