Books communicate information to children about social norms, including those associated with eating and foods. This, combined with concern about high rates of child obesity, was the impetus for this study. Information is presented on the food messages in a sample of contemporary popular books written for young children. Highly sweetened products such as candy and sweetened drinks appeared frequently and often were depicted positively. The results point to a need for awareness of food messages in young children's books and ongoing conversations about healthy food choices among parents, family and consumer sciences professionals, educators, healthcare providers, and children.