Fandango Stew

by David R. Davis, Ben Galbraith (Illustrator)

Chili's good, so is barbecue, but nothing's finer than FANDANGO STEW!
No money? No problem! In this sunny, funny western-style take on the famous folktale “Stone Soup,” two penniless but wily vaqueros (cowboys) trick a whole town into cooking a giant pot of stew for everyone to share.
David Davis's deliciously colorful language and Ben Galbraith's delightful illustrations make this picture book a tasty confection.  
 
Key Selling Points:
A great read-aloud trickster tale
Award-winning author whose books have twice appeared on the Children's Choice Top 100 list
Offers a gentle message about sharing and community-building


About the Author
DAVID DAVIS's picture books include Texas Zeke and the Longhorn, Librarian's Night Before Christmas, and A Southern Child's Garden of Verses. His Jazz Cats, and Ten Redneck Babies were both named to the Children's Choice Top 100 list. An active presenter at schools, conferences, and libraries, David lives in FORT WORTH, TEXAS. Learn more about him at www.davidrdavis.com.
 
About the illustrator
BEN GALBRAITH is author and illustrator of The Three Fishing Brothers Gruff, praised by PW: “Working very much in the vein of Lane Smith, Galbraith produces a book both visually hip and handsome.” Ben lives in NEW ZEALAND. Find out more at www.bengalbraith.co.nz.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Food, Westerns, Humor, Folk Tales, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2011

Reviews

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer]

Check out more picture book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

"Chili's good, so is barbecue, but nothing's finer than FANDANGO STEW!"
A Hispanic wild west version of stone soup in which a grandpa vaquero (cowboy) and his grandson trick the people of Skinflint into making a giant pot of soup with their single bean.

My nephew picked this one and I was doubtful as it had A LOT of words... more than he can normally handle. I was right to be concerned. There were more words than I like that he didn't know and we simply couldn't sound out every one of them. I read passages too to take the burden off his shoulders. Still we quite had fun with the Spanish words used (ones well known to those of us who live in South Texas) and the little limerick that is repeated through the story.

I also quite liked the morale of the story about sharing and how sometimes we've got to be clever and persuade others to do the right thing! There was no peer pressure involved, no meanness or taking unfair advantage. I LOVED that it was a grandpa and grandson and the idea that you should learn from your elders... Also the idea of community and working together is illustrated so beautifully.

The art was quite cute! It is VERY detailed and I worried about my nephew finding something to draw... he had to choose the simplest drawing but he accomplished it in spades! This kind of fine detail in a book makes it a pleasure to BUY the book and have in a home library!

BOTTOM LINE: A beautiful rendition of a cowboy sharing book!

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You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...

[Cheryl]

Basically 'Stone Soup' in the Old West. The whole town gets involved, and falls for the scheme even though they are suspicious. Nice enough version of one of my favorite tales about the power & joy of cooperation, but besides the new setting and a whole lot of words, this didn't really add much to the story and you'll be fine reading one of the many other versions available. Nothing wrong with it though; 3.5 stars.

[Cristofer Mattern]

A cowboy spin on the classic tale, “Stone Soup.” A simple book on how little acts of kindness and generosity can go a long way.

[Jeimy]

I would've given three stars to this retelling of turtle soup, but the illustrations are very cute.

[Karryn]

I love to read this book aloud to K-1st and sing the song “Nothin’ is finer than Fandango Stew!”

[Rose Rosetree]

Goodreaders, are you familiar with the classic story of "Stone Soup"? Then you're prepared for this variation... written with plenty of Tex-Mex attitude.

Luis and his grandfather, Slim, come a-riding into the town of Skinflint. They are two hungry hombres, without any pesos in their pockets.

Yet they're going to find a way to make a magnificent stew, even though all they have to start the meal rolling is one small fandango bean.

Author David R. Davis certainly spices up this tale with his language. For instance:

"Well, hog-tie me with a noodle," laughed the sheriff.

FIVE STARS, with appreciation for this tale about the transformative power of community.

[Catherine]

This is a humorous version of the classic tale STONE SOUP. It makes a great read aloud to follow up or precede Stone Soup, providing lots of space for Compare/Contrast and recalling details. I love using different versions of folk and fairy tales with my students, and this is a nice one that I will use again.

[Telps]

I was looking for "Stone Soup", could not locate that, so I came upon this wonderful story. I really enjoyed the story. The different characters allowed me to use a bunch of voices when I shared the story.

[Rebecca Gomez]

Fun read, great take-away.

[Mely]

Quirky retelling of the classic Stone Soup tale. Mixed in with a bit of Spanglish makes this quite unique.

[Brianna Osborne]

Really liked it, great illustrations and text. B liked the song refrain.

[Rebecca]

The art was good the story was funny, but what is the Sheriff going to eat for the rest of the year if all his vegetables went into the stew?

[Mary Mollner]

Love to read this one aloud. Add some props when you are reading this book. A fun version of stone soup

[Denise]

While this book is a little on the long side for story time, it makes up for it with a repetitive song that you can get the whole group singing along with.

[Kayla]

This wild west variation on stone soup absolutely tickled my 3-year-old!

[Sarah Limb]

This book made me laugh and smile. I love the heart of this story and would love to read it to Lydia as she gets older!

[Tasha]

A wild west version of Stone Soup, this book will have you singing the praises of Fandago Stew too. Luis and his grandfather, Slim, come to the town of Skinflint with their stomachs already rumbling with hunger. But they also have a plan, Fandango Stew. Unfortunately, the local sheriff is not happy to have them in town and tries to run them out. But he agrees that Luis and Slim can boil water and throw in their bean. Slim and Luis break into song “Chili’s good, so is barbecue, but nothing’s finer than Fandango Stew!” One-by-one the people of Skinflint begin to contribute, shamed into it when Slim and Luis talk about the Fandango Stew they made in other towns and the generosity shown there. Well, Skinflint may be frugal, but no one calls them stingy! As each new component is added, Slim and Luis reprise their song, adding new harmony parts. In the end, you know the story of delicious stew created by a community but this time it has some western seasoning added too.

Davis has created a fun and stylized version of the traditional tale. The incorporation of the western setting is well developed and adds an interesting dimension to the story. As the story and the stew develops, the inclusion of the entire community and their pride and willingness to turn it into a party make for a jubilant read. The use of the song after each addition to the stew adds a strong structure to the book as well.

Galbraith’s illustrations are filled with texture and color. Everything from the ropes to the boards of the houses to the corrugated roofs add to the rich feel. As the book progresses, the illustrations move from a sepia toned sparse color to richer colors.

[Amy Seto]

In this Wild West retelling of the classic Stone Soup story, Slim and his grandson, Luis, gallop into the town of Skinflint so hungry they could “eat a boiled leather boot.” Too bad neither of them has any money, which means its fandango stew for supper. The sheriff tries to run them out of town, but Slim and Luis hold up a small fandango bean and tell the townspeople of the wonders of fandango stew:

“Chili’s good, so is barbecue, but nothing’s finer than FANDANGO STEW!”

Soon the banker is bringing salt and pepper, the lawyer brings potatoes, and even the sheriff brings vegetables straight from his garden. That night the people of Skinflint dance and sing their bellies full of wonderful fandango stew.

Davis’ larger-than-life text is a joy to read aloud. Along with a vocabulary of cowboy lingo, such as “shindig,” “buckaroo” and “cowpokes,” Davis adds a sprinkling of Spanish words in Slim and Luis’ dialogue. But Davis is not didactic; this book is a rollicking story, not a Spanish lesson in disguise. The mixed media illustrations are finely detailed and I particularly like the endpapers that look like the backs of playing cards. Like the text, the characters are slightly exaggerated in their cowboy hats, bowlers, and mustaches. In a group setting, this book is best used with preschoolers and older because of the length and large vocabulary.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Mary]

This is a wild west version of the classic “Stone Soup.” Two cowpokes roll into town, both hungrier than all-get-out. Chili would be nice, but nothing would be nicer than a fine Fandango Stew. The townspeople want nothing to do with the new visitors because newcomers tend to take the townspeople’s food without repaying them for it. The cowpokes insist that they are there to do nothing of the sort--instead, they themselves will make Fandango Stew for everyone. It turns out that the townspeople all have materials they can donate to help create the stew, and before long, everyone’s enjoying Fandango Stew!

This is an entertaining read for older elementary school students as it is a little bit longer. The songs, repetition, and surprise ending will keep you interested throughout the story!

[Julia]

Here's a southwestern twist on "Stone Soup." The sheriff of the dusty town of Skinflint warns Luis and his grandfather to move on through the town and not stop to hustle food. But the savvy grandfather boasts of a wonderful fandango stew which he and his grandson wish to prepare for the citizens. One at a time, the citizens donate items to the stew, until the end result is a wonder. Not even the sheriff realizes that Luis and his grandfather have tricked the citizens of Skinflint.

There are Spanish words and phrases sprinkled throughout the book - a nice touch to the wild west motif. And the refrain, "Chili's good, so is barbecue, but nothing's finer than Fandango Stew!" is perfect for audience participation.

[Ina]

This is a funny retelling of "Stone Soup" set in the wild west. Although the illustrations are small and detailed, this is a great story time read for the text which contains phrases like, "The hard-working citizens of Skinflint don't feed saddle tramps" and "What's that ruckus going on out there?" The text is also sprinkled with words like "cowpoke", "shucks" and "Make tracks." Although I never did find a great tune to use for the repeated chorus "Chili's good, so is barbecue, but nothing's finer than Fandango Stew!" The children and their parents "sang" along anyway amidst lots of giggles. They also laughed out loud at the "western" words - their favorite was when the sheriff says, "Well, hog-tie me with a noodle!" Great read-aloud fun.

[Amy]

I enjoyed this book. I would read this to my future class, either early on in the year or at a time of disconnect. I like the stories with the overall ending message of cooperation and camaraderie. This book reminded me of home. In my col-de-sac, there are 7 families that function as one big family. We are often all having huge meals together outside and in each other's homes, helping with home improvement projects, and all the kids get along. We are a tightly knit group that helps each other out and acts the way the town does at the end of Fandango Stew.

[Diane]

"Chili's good, so's barbeque, but nothing's FINER than Fandango Stew!" In this western retelling of Stone Soup, Luis and his grandpa, Slim, ride into the town of Skinflint needing a meal. Met immediately by the Sheriff, they begin to spin their yarn about the fabulous Fandango Stew and soon all the citizens of Skinflint are adding their ingredients to the mix. After a fiesta for the whole town, Luis and Slim ride into the sunrise the next morning leaving their message behind: "Any bean makes a fine fandango stew ... just add generosity and kindness."

[Saunders Awards]

This is an old western retelling of the classic Stone Soup story. A couple of poor travellers trick a town into sharing ingredients for a stew that everyone enjoys. A young child will enjoy singing along with the frequently repeated song. The stew is full of fresh vegetables, and the townspeople each contribute something different of theirs. It is too bad that so many people had to be manipulated into sharing, as the travellers play on their vanity and group identity, though others are just curious, there was no genuine sense of compassion or charity.

[Deborah]

Dan Davis writes a delightful story with Ben Galbrith providing the wonderful artwork in the story titled "Fandango Stew." A boy named Luis and his grandpa slim arrive in a town named Skinflint with only one fandango bean in their pocket and a their stomachs growling with hunger. Somehow they need to convince the the town folks to come together and rustle up some groceries to help make a great Fandango Stew. A great story about sharing and making something out of almost nothing.

[Margaret]

If you are looking for a fantastic variant on the Stone Soup theme this is the title for you. Pair this with Jon J Muth's beautifully illustrated version, the 1947 Caldecott title by Marcia Brown, Bone Soup by Cambria Evans, The real story of Stone Soup by Ying Chang Compestine or perhaps Cactus Soup by Eric Kimmel.

Full review at:
http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Brandi]

This version of Stone Soup takes place in a Mexican Village. Teachers can use this book to compare/ contrast with other versions of this folk tale. This book features multiple Spanish words and would be great to read for ELL students. Teachers could also use this book to talk about context clues or syntax to decipher unknown words. Students could also create their own versions of the folk tale during creative writing.

[Colette]

Get your southern drawl up and running to read this fun book allowed to children! One that as Family Circle put it today, you might want to "Practice, cause there are a lot of funny voices in this book!" A different version of Stone Soup, and I paired it with Mine by Shutta Crum to discuss sharing and giving to others.

From end page to end page, rollicking good read, muy bueno, magnifico!

[Marguarite Markley]

An excellent retelling of Stone Stoup. Teachers, you MUST use this in your classroom. It has all the elements of a great fractured fairytale: it follows the structure of the original, it is funny, the illustrations are excellent, and it begs to be read aloud.

[Sharai]

This book is a Wild West version of Stone Soup. It has quirky fun language and uses some Spanish language as well. It shows community coming together as well as people coming together. Together with kindness and generosity, they bring forward the necessary components to create what they desire.