Quill and Quire

REVIEWS

« Back to
Book Reviews

Community Soup

by Alma Fullerton

In this Stone Soup—flavoured story, a Kenyan school is busy with lunchtime preparations. While the teachers stir the broth, students pick vegetables from the community garden. Kioni is late – she’s looking for her goats, which have a habit of wandering away. Not only do the wayward animals break the “no goats at school” edict, they also wreak havoc in the garden. Frustrated by her uncooperative, stubborn charges, the young girl grumbles, “I’d like to put them in the soup.” A creative classmate sees a culinary opportunity and incorporates the goats’ milk as a special ingredient. 

The book’s spare text warmly invites the reader into the daily life of the village. The simple sentences have a conversational tone and the superb pacing makes for a lively read aloud. Children will also enjoy the riff on “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (“Kioni has a herd of goats, / with hair of calico”).   

This is Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Award winner Alma Fullerton’s first time as both author and illustrator, and her paper-sculpture illustrations are a visual feast. When Kioni realizes the mess her goats have caused, her “oh no” moment is captured up close, as she gazes directly at the reader, hands covering her mouth with surprise and chagrin. In the field, the children’s bright clothing stands out against the leafy green background. Textures seem tactile, from the rough, peeling bark on twigs to the softly curling tufts of the goats’ hair. 

Community Soup offers a satisfying blend of cooperation, hard work, and play. In similar community-building spirit, a portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to the Creation of Hope Project, supporting the
development of community gardens at Kenyan schools.

 

Reviewer: Linda Ludke

Publisher: Pajama Press

DETAILS

Price: $19.95

Page Count: 32 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-1-92748-527-9

Released: May

Issue Date: 2013-6

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: 4-7