Stone+Soup



Book Review by: Maryann Linebarger
 * //Stone Soup//**

Title: **//Stone Soup//** Author: Marcia Brown Illustrator: Marcia Brown Publisher: Aladdin Publication Date: First Edition (August 1, 1997) Age Level: 4 - 8 years Number of Pages: 48 pages Language: English ISBN-13: 978-0689711039 Price: $6.99 as of 12/5/13 (via Amazon.com)
 * __Bibliographic Information__**

The illustrations in //Stone Soup// are very fitting for the story. In reading this story to young children, the teacher knows that this story takes place in the past, but the student would not know this right away. The illustrations in //Stone Soup// are black, white, and gray with a touch of red. The color scheme is a context clue that tells children that the story takes place in the class. They are also very indicative of the events in the story!
 * __Analysis of a Literary Element__**

//Stone Soup// is a story about three soldiers that venture into a tiny village for food and a place to sleep. Upon their arrival, the villagers fear the strange men coming into their homes, so they hide all of the food that they have and deny having spare rooms for the soldiers to sleep. After being denied by all, the soldiers tell the villagers that they must make stone soup. What starts as water and stones eventually becomes a feast for all when slowly but surely, the villagers contribute the food that they had hidden in their homes. At the end, they whole village feasts on the stone soup!
 * __Summary__**

Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved //Stone Soup.// The story always made me happy when the village got together and shared all of their food. It is a good lesson to teach children that when a community comes together and works towards a cause, they can achieve something great. In the story, they worked together and had a feast! Granted, the soldiers did, in a way, manipulate the villagers to give away their food, but the soldiers were not selfish. They shared the soup with all.
 * __Review__**

Marcia Brown was born in [|Rochester, New York] on July 13, 1918. She enrolled in the [|New York State College for Teachers], precursor to the [|University at Albany]. She taught at Cornwall High School in [|New York City], where she began her writing career. Her first book was The Little Carousel, a 32-page picture book that she both wrote and illustrated, published by [|Scribner's] in 1946.Growing up during the Depression, Brown considered becoming a doctor. She decided, however, to take up teaching and, later, writing. In 1946, Brown published her first book //The Little Carousel//. Over thirty more books followed //The Little Carousel.// Her next book, //Stone Soup// (1947), now considered a classic, established her reputation. The first of many folk tales she would retell and illustrate in her career, it is the story of stingy peasants outwitted by three hungry soldiers. Today, Brown resides in Rochester, NY. []
 * __Author Bio__**

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 * //__Related Links__//**
 * Liz The Story Reader of Stone Soup **