The University of Cincinnati Libraries celebrated the International Edible Books Festival on Monday, April 3, 2023.

Ellie Alfieri – It’s a Mystery – Best Overall

This year saw an impressive 22 entries from students, librarians, faculty and staff throughout the university and from the Cincinnati community. There are few restrictions in creating an edible book – namely that the creation be edible and have something to do with a book. Submitted entries include intriguing titles such as “Hello, Lighthouse,” “Banned Books” and “Blue Water.” Along with classics “Catcher in the Rye” and “The Four Million.” Animal-named books are popular this year with “Bone Dog from Nettle and Bone”, “The Nest”, “Grey Bees”, “Ducks” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Out-of-this-world titles “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and “An Immense World” will have people looking up. Thrillers such as “My Heart is a Chainsaw,” “Frankenstein” and “1984” may frighten attendees, while numerous children’s books will make people smile with such titles as “Winnie The Pooh”, “Cheese? Save some for me please,” “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “The Grump Truck” and “The Day the Crayons Quit.”

In addition to promoting the reading of books, we also use this event to promote and “judge” the creativity of our colleagues and friends in creating edible books. Once again, your entries are remarkable. The two esteemed judges were Meni Johnson, senior human resources coordinator, and Isabelle Brun, student assistant in the College of Engineering and Applied Science Library. And the winners are…

• Jenny Mackiewicz – Bone Dog from Nettle & Bone – Most Mysterious
• Melissa Cox Norris – The Nest – Most Adorable
• Steve Norris – Grey Bees – Most Taboo
• Max Mulcahy and Katie Foran-Mulcahy – Hello Lighthouse – Most Beautiful
• Natalie Rogers – Winnie The Pooh – Most Delicious
• Olga Hart – The Four Million – Silliest
• Milly Diaz – The very Hungry Caterpillar – Most Checked Out
• Sam Norris – Frankenstein – Most Gruesome
• Debbie Weinstein – Happy Birthday Moon – Most Wordly
• Lisa Haitz – Blue Water – Most Humorous
• Luahna Winningham Carter – The Day the Crayons Quit – Most Creative
• Suzanne Bratt – The Catcher in the Rye – Most Clever
• Jessica Ebert – Harold and the Purple Crayon – Most Magical
• Jakob Elliott – Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! – Most Literary
• Aja Bettencourt-McCarthy – An Immense World – Most Whimsical
• Melissa Cox Norris – Ducks – Most Timely
• Erin, Caroline and Norah Smith – Cheese? Save some for me please – Most Imaginative
• Debbie Tenofsky – Banned Books – Most Scandalous
• Rachel Hoople – My Heart is a Chainsaw – Most Frightening
• Griffin and Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer – Little Grump Truck – Most Fun
• Ellie Alfieri – It’s a Mystery – Best Overall
• Jack Norris – 1984 – Best Student Entry

Jack Norris – 1984 – Best Student Entry

Congratulations to all the edible books creators! View the entries and the winners on the UC Libraries Facebook page. See you next year for Edible Books 2024!