Perfect Soup

October 1, 2010
This cumulative tale of favors exchanged results in an unlikely friendship and a new soup recipe. Murray the mouse is making perfect soup, but he is missing a key ingredient. Rushing out into the snow, past Snowman, he asks Farmer for a carrot. Farmer agrees, but only if Murray hauls some logs; this sends Murray scurrying to Horse, who wants jingle bells, and so on. With each new appeal, he passes Snowman by, until he is stumped. Snowman gives—gives!—Murray the final item he needs to satisfy everyone. Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed Snowman's noseless visage, and they will not be surprised to find Murray eating carrotless soup after all. Moser's pacing is brisk and holds a folktale-like simplicity. Mantle's illustrations cheer, comedically maximizing Murray's diminutive size and adding gently whimsical touches. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 2-Between the carrot-covered endpapers, Murray, a bit of a perfectionist, is getting ready to make soup. When the mouse discovers he is out of carrots, he bundles up and runs through the snow to ask the farmer for the missing veggie. Farmer agrees if, in return, Murray hauls some logs. So begins a frantic chase as the mouse goes from Horse to Shopkeeper to Miller's Boy to a knitting neighbor as each agrees to help in some way in return for something else. As Murray frantically goes from place to place, he runs by a snowman (sharp-eyed readers will notice the missing nose) who keeps inviting him to play. But "Murray was in a hurry" and too busy to respond. Finally, frustrated in his carrot quest, the despondent mouse gets a scoop of snow from the snowman to cool the knitter's hot drink-and nothing is asked in return. This results in each neighbor giving the mouse what he wants until he receives a carrot that doesn't end up in the soup but as a gift to his new friend. The rhythmic text is coupled with snow-filled scenes from varying perspectives full of delightful details: the knitter's house is shaped like a tea cozy, Murray's stocking cap reflects his mood, the shopkeeper's eyebrows are curly. Libraries looking for books on friendship and perseverance with a dash of snow and soup mixed in will want to consider this title.-Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI

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