Yummy Children’s Books

Preface

This online exhibition is a reconstruction of the Yummy Children’s Books exhibition held at the International Library of Children’s Literature in 2023. Through the themes of “Making,” “Eating,” and “Thinking,” we introduce well-known Japanese works as well as children’s books from overseas. We believe that you may find new discoveries even in books you are familiar with, through the theme of “food.”

We would like to express our gratitude to Professor Sachiko Ikoma of Ryukoku University for her advice in organizing this exhibition.

The International Library of Children’s Literature, National Diet Library

Introduction

There are various countries and regions on Earth, where diverse cultures flourish, but there is one thing in common. That is “food.” There is no one on Earth who lives without a connection to food.

This universal theme of “food” is also widely addressed in children’s books. Not only works depicting the joy and happiness of eating, but also works portraying various topics in modern society seen through food, such as food chains, eating disorders, diversification of family structures, and the burden of human activities on the Earth and its impacts.

In this online exhibition, first, in Chapter 1 “Making” and Chapter 2 “Eating,” we will introduce works that depict ingredients being grown, going to buy ingredients, cooking the ingredients you have bought, and arranging and tasting the dishes at the table. Then, in Chapter 3 “Thinking,” we will present works that make us aware of the issues related to food from various perspectives such as the human body, society, and the global environment.

Now, let’s embark on a journey around the world with children’s books, using “food” as our keyword!

*Please click on the thumbnail image to view a larger version.