Most Delicious Soup and Other Stories

by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, Rosalind Harvey (Translator)

Overview

"A comparison can be made to Richard Scarry’s famous Busytown books; there’s always something going on in each corner of the picture." —School Library Journal 

 Welcome to the Village of Villa Verde where there are always little adventures.  Join Coco as he falls madly in love with his new pet ladybug, Thunder, take a trip to the library with Grandma and Luis, and visit the market with Gina and her Dad. You never know what will happen in these five interconnected stories that tap into childhood joys and challenges, all within the safety of a warm, vibrant community of animals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781922610614
Publisher:	Berbay Publishing
Publication date:	02/06/2024
Pages:	36
Product dimensions:	9.45(w) x 9.45(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Mariana Ruiz Johnson studied fine art and illustration and has published books all over the world. She lives in Buenos Aires with her husband and two children and has over 41K instagram followers.

Rosalind Harvey’s translations have been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the International Booker Prize. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, an Arts Foundation Fellow, a committee member of the Translators Association, and a founding member of the Emerging Translators Network. 

Editorial Reviews

11/06/2023

The Villa Verde plaza is full of animals, which Ruiz Johnson (While You Are Sleeping) portrays as stylized, clothed, upright forms with elegant, expressive eyes. A tortoise blows a bubblegum bubble; a chicken’s straw-filled stroller contains an egg; a duck jumps rope between a rabbit and a frog. Five stories follow in a natural-sounding translation by Harvey. In “Firm friends,” a young croc-like reptile called Coco falls in love with Thunder, a blue ladybug up for adoption at the market, then discovers the pet’s raucous side. In “Journeys on paper,” Grandma and Luis, both tortoises, head to the library on a rainy afternoon. Third tale “That’s enough, Gina!” sees a young duck overtaken by desire for everything she sees at the market. Coco stars again in “Scary camping,” in which a thunderstorm interrupts a tent-side storytelling session. And in the grand finale, “The most delicious soup,” the whole village comes together to feast—and to clean up. In this idyllic testament to village existence, life is good for the children of Villa Verde, whose caretakers indulge them with banana bread and chocolate cake, and even a local owl helps when a treasured balloon gets loose. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

"The overarching themes of cooperation and friendship shine through. The crisp, quirky illustrations are charming and set in frameless panels, comic book–style, another reason kids will appreciate this title. Names and visual cues imply a Latin American setting. Children will eat this congenial collection right up. "—Kirkus Reviews

 

"A wholesome book about friendship, early learning experiences and community."—Magpies Magazine

From the Publisher

01/12/2024

Gr 1–3—Translated from the original Spanish, this picture book is a collection of tales from Villa Verde, a town where animals walk, talk, and learn lessons, just like people. The muted watercolor illustrations allow readers to take in the entire page with no obvious focal point. Short tales about having a pet, being grateful, or changing plans give early readers bite-sized chunks to decipher, or they can breeze through the whole book if they want. A comparison can be made to Richard Scarry's famous Busytown books; there's always something going on in each corner of the picture. VERDICT Sweet fable-like stories and soft illustrations make for a lovely picture book. An additional purchase.—Jessica Durham

School Library Journal

2023-11-04
A town offers up delicious soup and delightful adventures.

This picture book made up of five engaging stories gives readers a peek into Villa Verde and the activities of its lively animal inhabitants. First up is a tale of a child who begs his mom for a pet—an insect who turns out to be a rather pesky nuisance and is ultimately banished to the outdoors. Other stories feature a grandmother and grandson who experience exciting escapades on a rainy day via the pages of library books; kids who are forced to move their camping trip indoors when it begins raining, but they have fun anyway telling scary stories; a young child who throws a tantrum when her dad won’t buy her everything she wants; and, finally, the title story, in which townsfolk not only collaborate to prepare the scrumptious meal but then party and tidy up afterward.This cheery Australian import, originally published in Colombia and translated from Spanish, will entertain children with its brief, sweet, down-to-earth tales and wide-eyed characters whose exploits and dialogue spring from realistic scenarios. The overarching themes of cooperation and friendship shine through. The crisp, quirky illustrations are charming and set in frameless panels, comic book–style, another reason kids will appreciate this title. Names and visual cues imply a Latin American setting.

Children will eat this congenial collection right up. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews