| The Real Story of Stone Soup | |
| Author: | Ying Chang Compestine |
| Illustrator: | Stéphane Jorisch |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Children's books |
| Publisher: | Dutton Books for Young Readers |
| Pub Date: | January 18, 2007 |
| Isbn: | 0525474935 |
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 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. 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.
The book concludes with an author's note and a recipe for "Chang Brother's Egg Drop Stone Soup".[5]
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. 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]