A letter from a parent
My daughter reads the Hindi half to her grandmother and the English half to me. The lunch question is SO us.
Aarti S.Mother of two, Mumbai
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Big Beetle Books · No. 06
What's for Lunch?
A funny, fast-paced story where curiosity leads to chaos, and a surprising lesson
Loud, joyful reading sessions
High engagement, even from reluctant readers
Real conversations about trying new food
Rs. 349.00Rs. 399.00
12% offNo GST on books
Nandita can sign this one for your child by name. Add it in the cart.
What changes this week.
1.
Children predicting patterns, "what will he try next?"
2.
More laughter-led reading, not less.
3.
Stronger participation: "again! again!" moments.
4.
Curiosity-driven conversations about food and choices.
5.
A book that works even on the pickiest eaters.
Four small shifts this book sets in motion.
Focus.
Repetition with small variation keeps attention locked, each new food is the same joke, told a little differently.
Emotional grounding.
Humour creates a safe, low-pressure space to read, laugh, and talk about food without any pressure to "finish your plate."
Curiosity.
"What will he eat next?" drives the whole story, page after page, without needing to be told to pay attention.
Imagination.
Children invent their own disguises, voices, and sound effects long after the book is closed.
Before this book
Passive reading, quick to get bored of a story once it's been heard once.
Before
After a few readings
Laughing, predicting, and actively engaged: often reciting the funniest line before you do.
AfterBuilt on repetition-based storytelling, a proven engagement technique·Encourages prediction and cause-and-effect thinking·Classroom-friendly, strong read-aloud track record·Engaging without screens or overstimulation
A note for the reader
How to read this book.
№ 1
Read aloud with sounds, "Tweet! Koohoo! Peehaw!"
№ 2
Pause and ask: "What will he try next?"
№ 3
Let your child join in with sounds and reactions.
№ 4
Talk about the ending: "What happened when he overdid it?"
From parents & young readers
Notes that have arrived in the post.
A letter from a parent
An old car, a long road, and a hungry kid: it's our every weekend. Warm and genuinely funny.
Deepak & Priya N.Parents of one, Nashik
From a teacher
A sweet bilingual read every child connects with. 'What's for lunch?' gets shouted every single time.
Reena M.Primary teacher, Surat
What it quietly builds.
01
Focus
Sustained engagement through pattern.
02
Emotional awareness
Humour and consequence, processed together.
03
Imagination
Role-play, animal voices, disguises.
04
Curiosity
Exploration and cause-and-effect thinking.
On reading it again
Children anticipate faster each time, and laugh louder. The joy shifts from surprise, to participation, to performance.
Is this book for my child?
Three ages, three different books.
3–4
The sound age.
Sounds, humour, and repetition: the pigeon's noises are the whole joke, and that's enough.
4–6
The predicting age.
Prediction and participation take over, they'll call out the next food before the page turns.
6–7
The ironist age.
Old enough to understand consequence and irony, and to appreciate exactly why the ending is funny.
Not moral-heavy. Not instructional.
Most food-and-behaviour books, and this one.
Typical "try new food" books
Deliver a tidy lesson by the last page
Make trying new things feel like homework
Get quieter with every re-read, not louder
Rely on a moral, not on the story itself
What's for Lunch?
Teaches through laughter, surprise, and consequence
Makes curiosity about food genuinely funny, not dutiful
Gets louder and more joyful with every re-read
Works on picky eaters without ever mentioning them
b
From the studio · Bengaluru
Big Beetle Books is an independent children's imprint making screen-free picture books for the slow afternoon, written by Nandita Rao and illustrated by Suraj Choudhary.
Complete the shelf
For the loud, laughing evenings.
Two chases, two languages: same thrill of getting away with it.
What's for Lunch?
Paperback · Rs. 349.00 Rs. 399.00