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Soup Day: A Board Book
Now in board book! A young girl and her mother shop to buy ingredients for vegetable soup. At home, they work together--step by step--to prepare the meal. A little later, the family sits down to enjoy a special dinner. Melissa Iwai's Soup Day celebrates the importance of making a nutritious meal and sharing in the process as a family.
A Christy Ottaviano Book
A Christy Ottaviano Book
32 pages, Board Book
First published September 28, 2010
4 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Iwai
62 books66 followersMelissa Iwai is an award winning author and illustrator of children’s books. Her most recent books are: Gigi and Ojiji (Harper Collins 2022), a Geisel Honor book, Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? (Harper Collins 2023), a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard book, and Dumplings for Lili (Norton Young Readers 2021), a Crystal Kite winner. All of her books may be viewed at: http://www.melissaiwai.com/
View daily work on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/melissaiwai1/
View daily work on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/melissaiwai1/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
June 16, 2011
What a sweet little book! I loved the warm, caring home and the fun, attentive mom and the love of cooking that just rises up from the pages like delicious steam from a bowl of soup! ;-p Though the text is fairly sparse and the illustrations are a bit cartoony at times (it is a board book for young readers), I felt that every word was chosen with skill and the illustrations conveyed all the right emotions. I just loved the little things, like how the girl watches her mother chop vegetables for the soup and how the potatoes become cubes, the carrots become circles, and the parsley becomes confetti ;-) Very cute! Also, very few books about food can work for vegan families and this is one of them. The recipe in the back mentions that you could use chicken, beef or vegetable broth and I don't think the text itself calls out any particular kind of broth.
November 25, 2017
A great read for my toddler who is more and more interested in helping me in the kitchen.
March 31, 2018
Yum! I wish every day was soup day. Fun muted media illustrations highlight the joy of cooking with mom on a cold, snowy day. The ingredients in the narrative include a counting lesson and the recipe is provided at the end of the book.
I was browsing the children's section at our local library and thought it was a perfect story for inspiring families to cook together.
The book cautions about the dangers of getting burnt while cooking, which is appropriate given the depiction of younger children helping near a hot stove. And of course, parents will want to initiate cooking activities at whatever level their child is ready to handle.
I was browsing the children's section at our local library and thought it was a perfect story for inspiring families to cook together.
The book cautions about the dangers of getting burnt while cooking, which is appropriate given the depiction of younger children helping near a hot stove. And of course, parents will want to initiate cooking activities at whatever level their child is ready to handle.
January 5, 2018
If I were a youngster, I'd give this one a 4 because it seems as though readers can almost smell and taste that delicious vegetable soup, made from fresh ingredients found during a shopping trip. I also love the fact that all the tasks are shared between mother and daughter, and because of this and the attitude both bring to their labors, what might be considered to be a chore by some becomes an adventure or at the very least a labor of love. The author chooses words that are just right--and particularly effective--to describe the soup's ingredients. Having an actual recipe in the back matter means that many readers will try this out, no doubt having their own soup day. The colorful, cheerful illustrations make everything look appealing, even the parsley. YUMMY! As I finished this board book version of the book, I couldn't help but think about how almost everyone has childhood memories of favorite home-cooked meals. Just the very mention of my mother's decision to make chili on a cold day was enough to prompt my brother and me to linger near the kitchen in eager anticipation of one of our very favorite meals. While I'm not a fan of leftovers, I'd happily eat leftover chili for days. The book captures that very same feeling perfectly.
December 7, 2010
I love everything about this book starting with the sturdy pages, the bright bold artwork and the simple language, reminiscent of Anne Rockwell in its being perfectly chosen to feel right to 2 and 3 year olds. I'm saving this one for a soup program in January to go along with "Chicken Soup With Rice" and a telling of "Stone Soup"
November 20, 2021
"Soup Day" by Melissa Iwai is a book about a mother and daughter shopping for, making, and eating a bowl of soup. This book was originally published in 2017, and is part of the Cristy Ottaviano Book Imprint, which "specializes in creative publishing of high quality picture books". This book was recommended to me by a friend with a young daughter.
What is so great about this book is that it really helps with shape identification, color identification, and number amounts. This book is for pre-school-kindergarten aged children, so learning and interacting with shapes, colors, and numbers is very important. Additionally, the young daughter is assigned a couple of different tasks when it comes to the preparation of the soup, like washing thr vegetables. Iwai also highlights the imagination of a young child, with different games mom and daughter play while the soup is cooking. Lastly, the recipe for the soup is available on the last page of the book!
Students could make their own bowl of soup with their family's and talk about what they did to help in the cooking process. Using this book to teach about colors, shapes, and numbers (also different types of vegetables and ingredients) would be a fun and interactive way to spike engagement. I borrowed my friend's copy of the book, but the audio is also available on YouTube.
What is so great about this book is that it really helps with shape identification, color identification, and number amounts. This book is for pre-school-kindergarten aged children, so learning and interacting with shapes, colors, and numbers is very important. Additionally, the young daughter is assigned a couple of different tasks when it comes to the preparation of the soup, like washing thr vegetables. Iwai also highlights the imagination of a young child, with different games mom and daughter play while the soup is cooking. Lastly, the recipe for the soup is available on the last page of the book!
Students could make their own bowl of soup with their family's and talk about what they did to help in the cooking process. Using this book to teach about colors, shapes, and numbers (also different types of vegetables and ingredients) would be a fun and interactive way to spike engagement. I borrowed my friend's copy of the book, but the audio is also available on YouTube.
September 2, 2021
Precious and perfect book to read during our "vegetable soup bath". With a recipe at the end!
September 6, 2021
Read it 3 times in row. Too cute.
October 3, 2021
Every Wednesday is “Soup Day” for my daughter and I, so this book was special :-)
September 30, 2015
Plot Summary/Personal Response: Soup Day is a book about a little girl and her Mommy who set off to the grocery store to gather ingredients for the soup they are going to prepare for dinner. The little girl helps to make sure each ingredient is just right and then embarks on the cooking journey to help make the delicious and healthy soup the two are going to prepare together. As the soup simmers in the pot, the little girl and her very attentive mommy, read stories and play together in order to pass time. As the soup is about done the two begin to clean up their mess as her daddy returns home. The three then sit down at the table and enjoy a nice family meal for three.
This story makes me think of snow days when I was little. While this little girl and her mom enjoyed the soup, our signature snow day meal, was grilled cheese and tomato soup. The story evokes emotion and memories in which children can remember back to and think of their snow day routines. I also like how the story incorporates the attentive and active interaction between mother and daughter while also pointing out the importance of a healthy family sit-down meal, something that is not as valued as it should be. I also like how at the end of the book she adds the recipe to the soup she has the mother and daughter cooking throughout their snowy day. I also like how the idea is to cook the “Snowy Day Vegetable Soup” with your child. At the end of the recipe Melissa Iwai includes a note that states for parents to “keep children at a distance from burners on the stove.” I really enjoyed how this book not only promotes literacy, and reading within the home, but also interaction between parents and children and allows for the further action of cooking together.
Literary Merit: This children’s book is written in a narrative style through first person point of view. The author chose to write the story through the little girl’s perspective which allows the readers to connect to the emotion and reality that the text provides. The connection between narrator and reader comes from the ability to relate to the activities that take place between the little girl and her mother. It allows for the reader to think about activities they do with their mother’s especially on snow days. Another literary element that is used in Soup Day is onomatopoeia. This can be seen when they pour in the broth and it makes a hissing “Sssss” sound.
Genre Considerations: This Baker’s Dozen book could be identified as realistic fiction story. Soup Day revolves around the idea of a snow day that a little girl spends with her mother, and although this is not a true story, similar events did take place in creation of this book. Melissa Iwai wrote this book because of her love to cook with her son Jamie. She based the book off of an event that she enjoys to do and also an event that can take place within any families household.
This Baker’s Dozen book is extremely appropriate for the promotion of young literacy skills and family literacy at home. It encourages interaction between parents and child, while also promotes conversation and interaction while reading. The pages are thick and could be considered a board book, perfect for young readers. It also promotes counting and shape recognition though the vegetables used in the soup.
Reader Response/Classroom Connections: This book should be used for young children and can definitely promote language development and conversation amongst students. The author subtly uses numbers and shapes which would be great to point out while reading to a class. If I were using this book for a read aloud I would have the students count the vegetables out with me and then further the page that describes the shapes of the vegetables by asking them to identify other shapes that vegetables can have. I think it would be really neat, if resources allow, to make the soup recipe that is provided at the back of the book. It would allow for greater connection between the reading and is also a way to mix in mathematics by having children use appropriate measurements that the recipe calls for.
This story makes me think of snow days when I was little. While this little girl and her mom enjoyed the soup, our signature snow day meal, was grilled cheese and tomato soup. The story evokes emotion and memories in which children can remember back to and think of their snow day routines. I also like how the story incorporates the attentive and active interaction between mother and daughter while also pointing out the importance of a healthy family sit-down meal, something that is not as valued as it should be. I also like how at the end of the book she adds the recipe to the soup she has the mother and daughter cooking throughout their snowy day. I also like how the idea is to cook the “Snowy Day Vegetable Soup” with your child. At the end of the recipe Melissa Iwai includes a note that states for parents to “keep children at a distance from burners on the stove.” I really enjoyed how this book not only promotes literacy, and reading within the home, but also interaction between parents and children and allows for the further action of cooking together.
Literary Merit: This children’s book is written in a narrative style through first person point of view. The author chose to write the story through the little girl’s perspective which allows the readers to connect to the emotion and reality that the text provides. The connection between narrator and reader comes from the ability to relate to the activities that take place between the little girl and her mother. It allows for the reader to think about activities they do with their mother’s especially on snow days. Another literary element that is used in Soup Day is onomatopoeia. This can be seen when they pour in the broth and it makes a hissing “Sssss” sound.
Genre Considerations: This Baker’s Dozen book could be identified as realistic fiction story. Soup Day revolves around the idea of a snow day that a little girl spends with her mother, and although this is not a true story, similar events did take place in creation of this book. Melissa Iwai wrote this book because of her love to cook with her son Jamie. She based the book off of an event that she enjoys to do and also an event that can take place within any families household.
This Baker’s Dozen book is extremely appropriate for the promotion of young literacy skills and family literacy at home. It encourages interaction between parents and child, while also promotes conversation and interaction while reading. The pages are thick and could be considered a board book, perfect for young readers. It also promotes counting and shape recognition though the vegetables used in the soup.
Reader Response/Classroom Connections: This book should be used for young children and can definitely promote language development and conversation amongst students. The author subtly uses numbers and shapes which would be great to point out while reading to a class. If I were using this book for a read aloud I would have the students count the vegetables out with me and then further the page that describes the shapes of the vegetables by asking them to identify other shapes that vegetables can have. I think it would be really neat, if resources allow, to make the soup recipe that is provided at the back of the book. It would allow for greater connection between the reading and is also a way to mix in mathematics by having children use appropriate measurements that the recipe calls for.
September 23, 2015
Soup Day, a Baker's Dozen book, is about a little girl and how she helps her mom to make soup. They go to the grocery store and pick out the ingredients together, then they go home and wash and cut the vegetables together. Then they start adding ingredients to the big bowl of soup. While they are waiting for the soup to cook, the little girl and her mom play together in many different ways. Then, they check on the soup and the little girl gets to pick what type of noodles she would like to put into the soup. She chooses Alphabet noodles because she can spell things with them. Then, as they wait for the noodles to cook in the soup, the little girl goes back and cleans up all of her toys. Finally, her dad comes home and it is time to eat the soup! This book included great vocabulary for young readers. It included vegetables and noodles of all different names that could add greatly to a student's vocabulary list. It also adds to a young reader's narrative skills because there is a clear beginning, middle, and end, It would be easy to ask the students, "what comes first?" to help them with their narrative skills. It also has a little bit of letter recognition, with the use of Alphabet soup in the story. This is a realistic fiction book. It is not based off of a true story, however it could easily occur in real life. Plot is a literary element that is used throughout this story, like I had said before there is a c lear beginning, middle, and end. The setting is in the home of the girl and her mom, and also in the grocery store at one point. This book includes a recipe for soup in the back of the book, this could be a great way to connect the book to their home life. As a teacher, I could send the recipe home with the students in order for them to recreate the soup with their parent at home! Another way that my students could respond to this book, is to write a sentence about what kind of ingredients they would put in their own homemade soup as a writing response. To relate this book to the creative arts, I could have my students make a macaroni collage with the different types of noodles included in the book. Then, have them count the different types of noodles to relate it to a math lesson. There are many different things that this book could be responded to in the classroom! I liked this book a lot because of it's wide vocabulary words and the use of diversity as well.
May 30, 2018
If all children cooking books can be that fun and entertaining, we will soon be producing a generation of future master chefs. I love this book. 2 year old little-AJ loves standing on the stool and observes from a distance the process of cooking happening in the kitchen. He finds this book fascinating, and smiles when he sees all the chopping of ingredients, pouring of oil, seasoning and choosing pasta in this book. This is a great fun book for kids that love to cook, or love to see how cooking is done.
The story follows a cute little girl helping the mum to get ready a snowy day vegetable soup. First, they need to pick the freshest and brightest-colour ingredients from the green market. Here, we can see colourful vegetables from eggplant, carrots, cauliflower to tomatoes. There is also a little counting game here: one bunch of crispy celery, two shiny yellow onions, three long orange carrots, four smooth tan potatoes etc.
I love the chopping of ingredients part. I love how the author incorporated the theme of shapes and sizes into this: The celery and onions become tiny square, the carrots become circles, the potatoes become cubes, and the parsley become confetti! I love the cheeky sound-effect "sssss" when the broth was poured into the big pot. While waiting for the soup to boil, mummy and the girl play games and read to each other. This is a very realistic depiction on how daily household tasks are done: serious works by the parents, involvement of kids in the chores to keep them occupied, then a game or book in between while waiting for the food to be done.
My personal favourite (and I believe it is little-AJ's favourite too) is the part about choosing of pasta. There are angel hair, fettuccine, farfalle, pastina, rotina, elbow macaroni, and alphabet. The little girl chose alphabet (so did little-AJ). The book ends with a recipe of vegetable soup, and a caution to keep children at a distance from burners on the stove.
Overall, this is a fantastic cooking book. It makes me hungry reading it!
Blog review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...
The story follows a cute little girl helping the mum to get ready a snowy day vegetable soup. First, they need to pick the freshest and brightest-colour ingredients from the green market. Here, we can see colourful vegetables from eggplant, carrots, cauliflower to tomatoes. There is also a little counting game here: one bunch of crispy celery, two shiny yellow onions, three long orange carrots, four smooth tan potatoes etc.
I love the chopping of ingredients part. I love how the author incorporated the theme of shapes and sizes into this: The celery and onions become tiny square, the carrots become circles, the potatoes become cubes, and the parsley become confetti! I love the cheeky sound-effect "sssss" when the broth was poured into the big pot. While waiting for the soup to boil, mummy and the girl play games and read to each other. This is a very realistic depiction on how daily household tasks are done: serious works by the parents, involvement of kids in the chores to keep them occupied, then a game or book in between while waiting for the food to be done.
My personal favourite (and I believe it is little-AJ's favourite too) is the part about choosing of pasta. There are angel hair, fettuccine, farfalle, pastina, rotina, elbow macaroni, and alphabet. The little girl chose alphabet (so did little-AJ). The book ends with a recipe of vegetable soup, and a caution to keep children at a distance from burners on the stove.
Overall, this is a fantastic cooking book. It makes me hungry reading it!
Blog review here: https://storypleasemummy.wordpress.co...
October 29, 2018
Genre: Realistic Fiction Recommended grade level: prek - 2nd Format: Picture book
Major Awards: n/a ?
Summary: It is a cold winter day and in order to warm up and spend quality time together, a mommy and her daughter decide to make soup. First, they visit their local grocery store to pick up the freshest, most bright vegetables! After all of the ingredients are gathered, they head home and begin prep. Together, they wash and cut the vegetables. While the soup is cooking, mommy and her little girl play games. When the time comes, they pause their game-playing to add the last ingredients and then return to their game area to clean up before daddy comes home for supper.
PERSONAL RESPONSE: This book is absolutely adorable and shows children that with a little bit of adult supervision, they can do adult things, such as cooking. There are subtle hints of other important lessons such as washing and picking vegetables and teamwork. The author sneaks in mini-lessons of shapes, numbers, and colors for young readers. I also love that the meal that the mom and her daughter decide to make is very healthy and something that can be made in children's homes.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations of this book are unique. While slightly abstract, students can easily make connections to their own lives. Melissa Iwai is a great illustrator, using every last bit of space on the page. She also does a great job at using different perspectives and textures so that the reader gets a full understanding of the story and it's characters.
READER RESPONSE/CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:
Young readers can make many connections to the book and their everyday lives. Using the book as a tool to teach about healthy foods while including ideas such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors is easy for all teacher of young students. The author includes a recipe for Vegetable Soup at the very end of the book, allowing teachers to connect with students on a deeper level, if the school district allows. To incorporate art, students can create a collage! This book also has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, giving educators a great teaching tool.
Major Awards: n/a ?
Summary: It is a cold winter day and in order to warm up and spend quality time together, a mommy and her daughter decide to make soup. First, they visit their local grocery store to pick up the freshest, most bright vegetables! After all of the ingredients are gathered, they head home and begin prep. Together, they wash and cut the vegetables. While the soup is cooking, mommy and her little girl play games. When the time comes, they pause their game-playing to add the last ingredients and then return to their game area to clean up before daddy comes home for supper.
PERSONAL RESPONSE: This book is absolutely adorable and shows children that with a little bit of adult supervision, they can do adult things, such as cooking. There are subtle hints of other important lessons such as washing and picking vegetables and teamwork. The author sneaks in mini-lessons of shapes, numbers, and colors for young readers. I also love that the meal that the mom and her daughter decide to make is very healthy and something that can be made in children's homes.
ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations of this book are unique. While slightly abstract, students can easily make connections to their own lives. Melissa Iwai is a great illustrator, using every last bit of space on the page. She also does a great job at using different perspectives and textures so that the reader gets a full understanding of the story and it's characters.
READER RESPONSE/CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS:
Young readers can make many connections to the book and their everyday lives. Using the book as a tool to teach about healthy foods while including ideas such as shapes, numbers, letters, and colors is easy for all teacher of young students. The author includes a recipe for Vegetable Soup at the very end of the book, allowing teachers to connect with students on a deeper level, if the school district allows. To incorporate art, students can create a collage! This book also has a distinct beginning, middle, and end, giving educators a great teaching tool.
March 23, 2015
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai is about a family who cooks soup for dinner on a snowy day. The mom and daughter go to the store and buy all the ingredients to make the soup. The daughter watches her mom cut up the carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and zucchini. The put all the ingredients into a pan. While they are waiting for the soup to be done, the mom and daughter play games. When the soup is ready and the dad comes home, the mom and daughter clean up their mess and go into the kitchen for a family meal. The main character loves soup days.
This book describes how a family makes soup for dinner. The author lists the foods that they bought from the store and how much of each type of food. Iwai talks about cutting up the foods and boiling them in a pan with broth. The soup that the family makes is very healthy, and it shows kids that eating healthy is a positive thing done in every family. The young girl's enthusiasm for this healthy meal also is used to convince kids that healthy food can be tasty! My favorite part of this book is on the last page, there is the actual recipe for the exact soup made in the book. Children can read this book and see the characters enjoying their soup. Then they can go make the same soup with their parents if they want to try it.
The pictures drawn of the foods in Soup Day look very similar to how the foods look in real life. The carrots are orange and have the green leaves coming out from the top, the onions have the outer wrapping on them, and the cucumbers have a dark green outside and a light green inside (same as a real cucumber). There is also a page in the book that has pictures of all different types of noodles. There is everything from angel hair to Farfalle to Rotini to Alphabet noodles. If the reader did not know what these types of pasta looked like, there is a picture right next to it showing the different shapes of the noodles. The pictures really added to this book by showing how the soup will actually look when it is done cooking.
This book describes how a family makes soup for dinner. The author lists the foods that they bought from the store and how much of each type of food. Iwai talks about cutting up the foods and boiling them in a pan with broth. The soup that the family makes is very healthy, and it shows kids that eating healthy is a positive thing done in every family. The young girl's enthusiasm for this healthy meal also is used to convince kids that healthy food can be tasty! My favorite part of this book is on the last page, there is the actual recipe for the exact soup made in the book. Children can read this book and see the characters enjoying their soup. Then they can go make the same soup with their parents if they want to try it.
The pictures drawn of the foods in Soup Day look very similar to how the foods look in real life. The carrots are orange and have the green leaves coming out from the top, the onions have the outer wrapping on them, and the cucumbers have a dark green outside and a light green inside (same as a real cucumber). There is also a page in the book that has pictures of all different types of noodles. There is everything from angel hair to Farfalle to Rotini to Alphabet noodles. If the reader did not know what these types of pasta looked like, there is a picture right next to it showing the different shapes of the noodles. The pictures really added to this book by showing how the soup will actually look when it is done cooking.
December 11, 2015
Plot summary: This book is about a young girl who helps her mother cook soup for dinner. First together they go to the grocery store to get the ingredients for the soup, and after that they return back home to wash all of the produce off and cut the vegetables. Then, they start to mix all the ingredients together and start cooking the soup. While the soup is cooking, the little girl and her mother enjoy playing various types of games on the floor. Before they go check the soup, the little girl remembers how important it is to pick up the toys that they played with. Next, girl gets to pick what type of noodles she wants to add to the soup. She ends up choosing the alphabet noodles because she enjoys spelling things with them. At the end of the story, the soup finishes cooking and the little girls father comes home and they all enjoy eating the soup as a family.
Reader response: Two ways that you could incorporate this book into classroom activities is through creative arts and higher order thinking strategies. With creative arts you could have the children create macaroni collages on paper plates and color in the empty space around the noodles to make it look like a bowl of soup. For higher order thinking strategies, you could ask the children questions such as: Do you have a favorite soup? What is you favorite thing to cook with your parent(s)? Can you tell me one ingredient that went into the soup in the story? :and have the student write their response or share it verbally. You could also send the recipe that is found in the back of the book home with the children for them to make with their families.
Reader response: Two ways that you could incorporate this book into classroom activities is through creative arts and higher order thinking strategies. With creative arts you could have the children create macaroni collages on paper plates and color in the empty space around the noodles to make it look like a bowl of soup. For higher order thinking strategies, you could ask the children questions such as: Do you have a favorite soup? What is you favorite thing to cook with your parent(s)? Can you tell me one ingredient that went into the soup in the story? :and have the student write their response or share it verbally. You could also send the recipe that is found in the back of the book home with the children for them to make with their families.
September 1, 2010
Today is soup day, so a little girl and her mother head to the store through the snowy streets. There they buy the ingredients for their soup, careful to choose the vegetables with the brightest colors. They pick out green celery, yellow onions, orange carrots, white mushrooms and more. Back at home, they wash the vegetables and cut them into little pieces. The little girl gets to help with a plastic knife and the softer veggies. After sautéing the vegetables, broth is added and the soup cooks. The mother and child play together as the smell of soup fills the house. Finally spices and pasta are added and then they sit down to dinner with Daddy.
Iwai has captured cooking from a child’s point of view. The selection of vegetables mentioning their colors is done with a gentle tone, and most children will not notice that colors are being reviewed in that part of the story. The focus on what the little girl is able to do is charming and affirming for children. Seeing her pride and involvement is a large part of the story.
Iwai’s illustrations are done with acrylics and collage and Photoshop. They mix the textures of textiles with the crispness of photos and the brushstrokes of painting. The result is a rich blend that makes for engaging illustrations. The book is printed on nice heavy pages, making it welcoming for toddler hands.
This book is as warm and welcoming as a big bowl of homemade soup. Add it to your recipe for a great story time or a unit on soup or food. It would be ideal paired with a version of Stone Soup. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
Iwai has captured cooking from a child’s point of view. The selection of vegetables mentioning their colors is done with a gentle tone, and most children will not notice that colors are being reviewed in that part of the story. The focus on what the little girl is able to do is charming and affirming for children. Seeing her pride and involvement is a large part of the story.
Iwai’s illustrations are done with acrylics and collage and Photoshop. They mix the textures of textiles with the crispness of photos and the brushstrokes of painting. The result is a rich blend that makes for engaging illustrations. The book is printed on nice heavy pages, making it welcoming for toddler hands.
This book is as warm and welcoming as a big bowl of homemade soup. Add it to your recipe for a great story time or a unit on soup or food. It would be ideal paired with a version of Stone Soup. Appropriate for ages 2-4.
October 30, 2016
Title: Soup Day
Author: Melissa Iwai
Genre: realistic fiction
Plot Summary: It is a slow winter day. So a little girl and her mother go out and buy the ingredients for some hot soup. They pick out the freshest, brightest vegetables. After washing them, the little girl cuts the mushrooms and zucchini. Once all the veggies are cut up they start to cook the veggies. Then they pour in the broth. They play different games while they wait. They try out the soup when it starts bubbling. Momma adds spices and then the daughter puts in alphabet noodles. Daddy comes home and they start enjoying their delicious soup.
Literary Merit: I think the plot is an important aspect of this story to look at and point out to students. Its shows the process of making something, which is at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy chart. A child can learn the process of what cooking something is like, from purchasing the products to eating the meal. A question to consider would be how is what the young girl is doing addressing the top of blooms taxonomy?
Reader Response/Connection: I think a good activity for students would be for them to come up with their favorite recipe. They can write them down and write the directions under that. For a younger class I could have them take plastic food products and have them show me their favorite meals.
Author: Melissa Iwai
Genre: realistic fiction
Plot Summary: It is a slow winter day. So a little girl and her mother go out and buy the ingredients for some hot soup. They pick out the freshest, brightest vegetables. After washing them, the little girl cuts the mushrooms and zucchini. Once all the veggies are cut up they start to cook the veggies. Then they pour in the broth. They play different games while they wait. They try out the soup when it starts bubbling. Momma adds spices and then the daughter puts in alphabet noodles. Daddy comes home and they start enjoying their delicious soup.
Literary Merit: I think the plot is an important aspect of this story to look at and point out to students. Its shows the process of making something, which is at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy chart. A child can learn the process of what cooking something is like, from purchasing the products to eating the meal. A question to consider would be how is what the young girl is doing addressing the top of blooms taxonomy?
Reader Response/Connection: I think a good activity for students would be for them to come up with their favorite recipe. They can write them down and write the directions under that. For a younger class I could have them take plastic food products and have them show me their favorite meals.
November 19, 2010
The pictures are extremely well done and quirky. The book focuses on a girl who looks to be Asian and her presumably adoptive white mother as they prepare a meal together. I love that the protagonists in the story are an underrepresented population of society. This is obviously not the focus of the book, but it does add something special in my opinion.
This book is a great find for younger children. Kids will be drawn in by the pictures and will think it's fun to see the pictures of the foods that are being added as well as to hear them pronounced (vegetables, spices, various kinds of pasta). In a very subtle way, it builds extra vocabulary for the younger kiddos. It will also help that there may be prior knowledge about certain parts of the book - a young child would possibly be able to relate to seeing a parent cooking, playing with a parent, and having to put things away.
This is the perfect read for a parent and child to bond together, and there is even a recipe for Snowy Day Vegetable Soup at the back of the book if the kids are interested in actually cooking with a parent.
This book is a great find for younger children. Kids will be drawn in by the pictures and will think it's fun to see the pictures of the foods that are being added as well as to hear them pronounced (vegetables, spices, various kinds of pasta). In a very subtle way, it builds extra vocabulary for the younger kiddos. It will also help that there may be prior knowledge about certain parts of the book - a young child would possibly be able to relate to seeing a parent cooking, playing with a parent, and having to put things away.
This is the perfect read for a parent and child to bond together, and there is even a recipe for Snowy Day Vegetable Soup at the back of the book if the kids are interested in actually cooking with a parent.
November 22, 2010
Title: Soup Day By Melissa Iwai
Summary: A girl and her mother make a day of making soup.
Rating: Yes
Ages: 3-5 years
Pros:
The bright collage illustrations are large and easy to see, perfect for sharing with groups.
This book is filled with description that makes for easy extended educational interaction with the reader. For example, on one page the characters count the vegetables in their grocery basket and on another they discuss the shapes that the cut vegetable make: circles, squares and cubes, etc.
This book is substantial with a well-paced storyline that ends neatly.
Cons:
I found the cover art slightly misleading. I was excited to review the book because I thought it was about an Asian family. (The main character looked Asian on the cover to me.) The book isn’t about an Asian family- a slight bummer but nothing major.
Usage: This book screams preschool story time. It would also work nicely for one-on-one sharing.
Summary: A girl and her mother make a day of making soup.
Rating: Yes
Ages: 3-5 years
Pros:
The bright collage illustrations are large and easy to see, perfect for sharing with groups.
This book is filled with description that makes for easy extended educational interaction with the reader. For example, on one page the characters count the vegetables in their grocery basket and on another they discuss the shapes that the cut vegetable make: circles, squares and cubes, etc.
This book is substantial with a well-paced storyline that ends neatly.
Cons:
I found the cover art slightly misleading. I was excited to review the book because I thought it was about an Asian family. (The main character looked Asian on the cover to me.) The book isn’t about an Asian family- a slight bummer but nothing major.
Usage: This book screams preschool story time. It would also work nicely for one-on-one sharing.
March 23, 2018
Iwai, Melissa Soup Day. BOARD BOOK. Henry Holt and Company, 2017. $8. 9781250127723
@meliwai
A young girl and her mom spend the day together creating a yummy pot of soup. They shop for vegetables, wash and cut them up, and put them together with broth, noodles, and spices. Mom and daughter play together while the soup cooks, and then eat the soup with Dad when he arrives home.
I really like this little book; it has a lovely calm and homey feeling to it. The story is simple and straightforward, but its really well done. Both of my kids have requested we read it multiple times a day. The illustrations are fun--with different patterns and colors adding some nice depth--and there is even a recipe for vegetable soup at the back. Overall, a nice pick in board books.
Pre-K - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
@meliwai
A young girl and her mom spend the day together creating a yummy pot of soup. They shop for vegetables, wash and cut them up, and put them together with broth, noodles, and spices. Mom and daughter play together while the soup cooks, and then eat the soup with Dad when he arrives home.
I really like this little book; it has a lovely calm and homey feeling to it. The story is simple and straightforward, but its really well done. Both of my kids have requested we read it multiple times a day. The illustrations are fun--with different patterns and colors adding some nice depth--and there is even a recipe for vegetable soup at the back. Overall, a nice pick in board books.
Pre-K - ADVISABLE. Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
October 25, 2014
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai, was a great book to someday share with your own child. I would also like to have this book available for my students in my future classroom. I enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me of my own family and what my mom would do when I was a young child. I also enjoyed the idea of going to the market picking out the supplies and finally creating the soup. I also liked the aspect of having the child be patient until the soup was finished. The way the author had the mother spend time with the daughter was a great touch to the book, because some families today miss that aspect of raising children. That is why I enjoyed this book so much, because of all of the family ties it had in it and I believe my future students need to be exposed to that.
December 10, 2015
The little girl and mommy go to the store to get some ingredients to make some soup. They get carrots, onions and even parsley! The little girl and her mom make the soup together and while they are waiting they have tons of fun playing and using their imaginations! They then add some noodles to the soup and clean up while it finishes cooking. As soon as Dad comes home from work, it is time to eat!
Soup Day can be used to help children learn to cook and learn what ingredients are good for making a nice, tasty soup! Also, it can be used to teach children what the different ingredients actually look like.
Soup Day can be used to help children learn to cook and learn what ingredients are good for making a nice, tasty soup! Also, it can be used to teach children what the different ingredients actually look like.
December 22, 2018
A cold, snowy day is the perfect day to make some hot vegetable soup.
December 16, 2011
Soup Day is a wonderfully illustrated children's book. What better time to make soup then a snowy day? The daughter and mother go to the grocery store to pick out ingredients. Melissa Iwai includes all the necessary steps to making a vegetable soup. My pre-k students really liked the illustrations and explanations of how things were cut and added to the soup. A great activity was reading the book and pretending to do what the characters were doing. Personally, I really liked seeing an Asian child portrayed in a picture book! Bonus points for that!
November 11, 2012
Subjects
Mother and child -- Juvenile fiction
Soups -- Juvenile fiction.
Cooking (Vegetables) -- Juvenile fiction.
On a cold, snowy day, a young girl and her mother shop to buy ingredients for vegetable soup. At home, they work together ”step by step ”to prepare the meal. While the soup is cooking, they spend the time playing games and reading. Before long, Daddy’s home and the family sits down to enjoy a home made dinner. This book celebrates the importance of making a nutritious meal and sharing in the process.
Mother and child -- Juvenile fiction
Soups -- Juvenile fiction.
Cooking (Vegetables) -- Juvenile fiction.
On a cold, snowy day, a young girl and her mother shop to buy ingredients for vegetable soup. At home, they work together ”step by step ”to prepare the meal. While the soup is cooking, they spend the time playing games and reading. Before long, Daddy’s home and the family sits down to enjoy a home made dinner. This book celebrates the importance of making a nutritious meal and sharing in the process.
October 16, 2013
We love to read and we love to cook. Books that encourage a cooking project are one of our favorites. Melissa Iwai's delightful book "Soup Day" walks you through a child and her mother having a soup day. They head to the market, prepare the ingredients, make their soup, play while they wait, and enjoy it as a family. With playful illustrations and concise language, Iwai celebrates the simplicity of working side by side with the ones we love. At the back is a recipe for the soup made by the characters inviting the readers to venture out on their own soup day.
January 13, 2018
I love this simple story with its descriptive language. First the child describes the vegetables she and her mother bought at the farmer's market. Then her mother chops the ingredients into tiny squares, circles, cubes and confetti. We hear noises, "sizzle," Ssssssss!" and "Mmmm!" and pick out which pasta we'll add to the pot--angel hair, farfalle, rotini, elbow macaroni, pastina, fettuccine or alphabet. I had not idea SOUP DAY could be so much fun. But now that I do, I'm so glad Melissa Iwai included the recipe in her charming book.
December 22, 2018
this made me want to make soup!
October 15, 2010
What a fun journey through a little girl's experience making soup with her mother. Bright and fun illustrations transport the reader into the story--we could almost smell the soup! Includes recipe for the soup at the end of the book. Might be a fun combo with "Ugly Vegetables", another title we enjoyed about making soup.
May 21, 2011
Where's the beef? This was a sweet book about a child helping their mother make the soup. They did all sorts of fun things while waiting on the soup to finish like playing pretend. At the end of the book is a recipe for Snowy Day Vegetable Soup. This really made me hungry and if it wasn't so hot outside I'd get soup.
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