Giant Parsnip Soup

PreS-Gr 3–The Giant Carrot meets Stone Soup in this charming counting book about two boys who find a giant parsnip. First, they mull over the possibilities: could the parsnip be made into a car? A rocket? A slide? Finally, they settle on making giant parsnip soup, and proceed to gather the ingredients via wagon, wheelbarrow, sailboat, and hot air balloon, which are then all plunked into a giant pot of water via a pulley-rigged wood and rope contraption. As the soup cooks, the multiethnic group of children grows until there are “9 hungry mouths,” then “10 full bellies.” Children will delight to see that a cat has been added to the mix, which also included a dog. Sosa’s delightful collage and mixed-media illustrations are the perfect fit for the simple, readable text. A recipe for parsnip soup is included in the back matter. This is a great interactive book for young children, who can search for details in the pictures, count along with the text, and perhaps even learn a thing or two about how food is delivered to our kitchens.