Let's Eat! Mealtime Around the World

by Lynne Marie, Parwinder Singh (Illustrator)

Let's Eat!: Mealtime Around the World, illustrated by Parwinder Singh, explores foods from 13 countries around the world, including Sweden, Peru, Pakistan, Nigeria, and more.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Food

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

Lynne Marie a multi-published author and an editor at a small press. She's the Owner/Administrator of Rate Your Story (www.rateyourstory.org), the author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten - illustrated by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic, 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School – illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic, January 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books, 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling, 2019) and Let’s Eat! Mealtimes Around the World -- illustrated by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books, 2019), the Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat (Yeehoo Press, 2023), Broommates -- written with Brenda Sturgis -- art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press 2024) and more forthcoming. When she’s not travelling around the world, she lives in her hometown with her high school sweetheart, Anakin the Schipperke and Marlowe the Chihuahua. You can learn more about her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Food unites us all, but foods and meals vary greatly around the world. This colorful, cultural tour of 13 countries moves from morning to evening, highlighting favorite choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even snacks and desserts! Each spread invites the reader to interact with the book by asking a question about food and fact boxes expanding on the narrative vignettes draw the reader into the different cultures. An informative book that will leave your mouth watering!

[Phaea Crede · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and interesting!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are cute and the book overall is fine. My biggest gripe is that for the US, they show a girl getting gumbo from a restaurant for dinner. That just isn't what we think of when we think of the United States. Yes, it is very diverse, but we don't eat gumbo, nor do we eat at restaurants, so after we read that page, my children started to see the profiles as a work of fiction instead since the one for their own country didn't seem to be accurate. And honestly, maybe they are right? Are the others also cliche meals that people don't actually eat or perhaps only big in a particular region, such as gumbo? I think the restaurant bit could have been accepted, yes, we and most people we know make their dinner at home, but sure, we see restaurants and know people will eat there, but again, choosing gumbo was....a choice. It is absolutely a part of some people's culture, which is wonderful, but they could have chose something that applied more widely to our country. It was also much shorter than I expected. So while this is one we purchased, we will be returning it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book showing kids from all over the world eating different foods. The first kids are eating breakfast, then possible lunches, afterschool snacks, dinner and dessert. Little blurbs give extra factoids about the country, sometimes but not always food related. I kinda wish they had all been food related; the odd mention of llamas and their uses sticks out a bit awkwardly. Isn't there a traditional food served at cricket matches in India to make finding out that cricket is popular there more thematic?

And now I'm hungry! Time to finish my Thanksgiving leftovers. Or maybe make a gumbo, since I'm in the United States.

The publisher sent me a copy of the book for review.

[Susan]

This playful concept book takes kids around the world to discover foods they may not have tried and also explore how much we have in common. I like the use of rhetorical questions to engage young readers. Sidebars add a dash of new information and just the right amount of supplemental text. Kids may not be able to world just yet, but this book (written by a travel agent) gives them a little taste of armchair travel.

[Alexandria Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a very informative book that even I as an adult enjoyed reading. It goes around the world to various countries and presents what children most commonly eat in a short story format. It also has small boxes scattered around each page with additional info about the food or eating habits of the kids. It's a great an diverse book that presents the food in ways that make you crave to try it yourself

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful examples of how kids around the world eat and the foods that are important to them. Love the engaging questions for the reader--my 7yo jumped at the chance to answer them as we read the book together. Loved the little history lessons on each spread and the art is adorable. There is so much packed into this book. It's full of diversity with a message of connectedness. Great book!

[Megan Durkin]

As a teacher who values cooking experiences in the classroom, I am always on the lookout for resources. This one is great! Fun illustrations and relatable text make it a favorite at our school. And we love trying out the delicious recipes! Let's Eat! Mealtime Around the World fills a need in the cultural subjects area that supports our explorations perfectly.

[Charlotte Offsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating and fact-filled picture book explores foods from 13 different countries! It moves throughout different times of the day and shows while traditional dishes may vary, food unties us all! A great book for curious minds and a must have for every classroom!

[Danna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicious journey around the world!

[Lauren Kerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful journey and exploration of meals around the world! I loved learning about different meals, customs, and cultures.