Stone Soup by Ann McGovern

Book Genre: Folktale

Publishing Info: Harcourt Brace & Company, Scholastics Inc. (32 pages)

Awards or Honors Received:

Summary: Stone Soup is an entertaining folktale about an intelligent traveling peddler and an old hermit lady. The story begins with the peddler traveling down a road. He is terribly hungry and tired. Eventually, he happens upon a house and decides to ask the resident for some food. When he asks, the old lady refuses. She tells him that she has no food in her house or garden. The smart peddler then tricks her into making a soup from a stone. He asks for a stone, water and pot. She agrees and gets the items. He then tells her that the soup would taste better with yellow onions. Once again she agrees and gets the onions. As the "stone" soup is cooking and smelling wonderfully the woman begins to get hungry as well. The peddler then asks for carrots. Without hesitation the woman gives into this wish as well. Things continue this way with the peddler asking for additional items and the woman quickly gathering them to put in the soup. The soup finally contains a stone, yellow onions, carrots, beef bones, pepper, salt, butter and barley. Once the peddler is content that the soup is finished, he and the old lady sit down for a "soup fit for a king". Finally, after his belly is full the peddler takes the stone and is on his way once again.

Personal Rating & Reason: ****Great! I absolutely love this book. It is written in a way that children can understand and enjoy. There are some great life lessons to be learned as well.

Reading Level: K-2 (2.1 AR)

Interest Level: ages 4-8 years

Possible Uses: This book could be used across the curriculum. Here are some examples.

Writing: You could help the children create a flow map of the story and the items listed. Later the students could use the flow map to write their own versions of the tale in a short story.

Art: The children could illustrate their short stories. Plus you could create a You Read to Me, I'll Read to You skit and have them act it out.

Math: You and the students could create a recipe of the stone soup. Then have the students count and measure the items as you make the soup. Later, enjoy the tasty treat.

Social Studies: A discussion about how the characters are similar or different could be conducted. Or you could tie the story into how the students and the characters are alike or different. Then you could discuss the way the characters made the soup and how we make or would make it today.

Science: You could have the students use their senses to describe the items used in the soup.

Potential Problems or Difficulties: must be a read aloud story in K-1 the vocabulary is too advanced for the students to read independently, obtaining the items to make the soup.