The Real Story of Stone Soup

The Real Story of Stone Soup is a picture book written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch. The stone soup folk story is often associated with European folklore, but Compestine retells it set in China.[1]

The Real Story of Stone Soup
AuthorYing Chang Compestine
IllustratorStéphane Jorisch
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's books
PublisherDutton Books for Young Readers
Publication date
January 18, 2007
Publication placeUnited States
ISBN0525474935

Plot summary

edit

The three Chang brothers are constantly overworked by a mean, old fisherman. One day the fisherman scolds the boys for forgetting to prepare his lunch. The boys gather fish and other ingredients to make a delicious soup, then decide to trick the fisherman by digging a hole, filling it with water, and tossing in rocks.[1] They then convince the fisherman that this is how they prepared the soup using special "flavored rocks", astonishing the gullible fisherman.[2][3][4] The narrator insists that this is the "real" stone soup story.[1]

The book concludes with an author's note and a recipe for "Chang Brother's Egg Drop Stone Soup".[5]

Character list

edit
  • "Uncle" - Old Fisherman that the Chang boys refer to as "Uncle"
  • Ting Chang - The eldest brother who works on Uncle’s boat
  • Pong Chang - The middle brother who works on Uncle’s boat
  • Kuai Chang - The youngest brother who works on Uncle’s boat

Reception

edit

The Real Story of Stone Soup has been featured in the School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and the Junior Library Guild.[6][7] In School Libraries Worldwide, Sue Kimmel, a librarian, discusses how the book can be used to teach critical thinking and science concepts.[1] The Chicago Sun-Times writes that the story is "deftly written with delicious tongue-in-cheek humor."[8] The illustrations by Stephanie Jorisch are done in gouache and ink and are "expressive," according to Booklist.[9]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Kimmel, Sue (July 2013). "Stone Soup: A Story about Using Story for Research". School Libraries Worldwide. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 31 July 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
  2. ^ Compestine, Ying Chang (2007-01-18). The Real Story of Stone Soup. New York, NY: Dutton Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780525474937.
  3. ^ Compestine, Ying Chang (2007-01-18). The Real Story of Stone Soup. Penguin. ISBN 9780399187148.
  4. ^ The Real Story of Stone Soup by Ying Chang Compestine | PenguinRandomHouse.com.
  5. ^ Chang., Compestine, Ying (2007). The real story of stone soup. Jorisch, Stéphane (1st ed.). New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 978-0525474937. OCLC 70673108.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ THE REAL STORY OF STONE SOUP by Ying Chang Compestine, Stphane Jorisch | Kirkus Reviews.
  7. ^ "The Real Story of Stone Soup". Junior Library Guild. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
  8. ^ Abbott, Deborah (10 June 2007). "Summer Reading Fundamentals". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2017-08-01. Retrieved 31 July 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Engbert, gillian (January 2007). "The Real Story of Stone Soup". Booklist. 103: 113 – via EBSCOhost.