Bone Soup
Kindergarten-Grade 3—Even the zombies are lovable in Evans's charming Halloween-themed rendition of "Stone Soup." The skeletal Finnigin, a macabre but friendly feasting traveler, is known far and wide for his ravenous appetite. When he comes upon a beautiful barren land, he is sure that a wonderful Halloween feast awaits him. But a flying witch catches sight of him and warns the beast, the zombies, and the mummy of his approach. They all quickly pack away their prized stewed eyeballs and bat wings and turn Finnigin away when he comes calling. Undeterred, he cleverly begins to brew a soup with his magic bone, and, one by one, each creature emerges to investigate. Seasoned with sprightly, luminescent watercolors and the perfect dose of gross-out factor, this tale has all the right ingredients for a hearty storytime. Early elementary audiences will especially appreciate the spread that points out all the gloriously awful additions to the yellow-green soup—spider eggs, dried mouse droppings, toenail clippings, dandelions, and other assorted items fit for creatures of the night.Bone Soupis a welcome addition to the holiday repertoire, as well as a pleasurable read for students completing comparative folktale assignments.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.