In an author’s note in the book, Ms. Jenkins — a best-selling author who has written about the importance of parents’ seeking out more diverse books — said she wanted to acknowledge history in full.

“Even though there is by no means space to explore the topic of slavery fully,” she wrote, “I wanted to represent American life in 1810 without ignoring that part of our history.”

Ms. Blackall, whose more than 20 books have been praised for their inclusive imagery, echoed the sentiment in a blog post defending the book. Children, she said, have reacted particularly strongly to the scene of the mother and daughter hiding in the closet.

They “are horrified at how unfair it is,” she said. It conveys “a complete lack of freedom.”

The author and illustrator, who are white, declined to comment for this article. But their publisher said in a statement that the goal had been “a book that parents, teachers, and librarians could use as a springboard for deeper, meaningful conversations about our history.”

While “A Fine Dessert” has found a number of defenders, including some African-Americans, detractors say that the book — which contains the words “master” and “plantation” but no overt reference to, or explanation of, slavery itself — leaves out too much.

Edi Campbell, a reference librarian at Indiana State University who blogs about children’s literature, credited Ms. Jenkins and Ms. Blackall with admirable intentions, but said that the meaning of the image of the mother and daughter hiding in the closet would probably be lost on its audience.

“To a 4-year-old or an 8-year-old, that just looks like fun,” said Ms. Campbell, who is African-American. Enslaved people, she added, would not necessarily have “risked their lives for a dessert.”