Grandpa's Soup

by Eiko Kadono, Satomi Ichikawa (Illustrator)

After the death of his wife, an old man gradually realizes that making the soup she used to cook and sharing it with friends eases his loneliness.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Death

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Eiko Kadono (角野栄子) is a Japanese author of children's literature, picture books, non-fiction and essays in Shōwa and Heisei period Japan. Kadono was born in Tokyo, and attended the Nihon Fukushi University in Aichi prefecture, followed by a degree in English literature from Waseda University. After graduation in 1960 at the age of 25, she emigrated to Brazil, where she spent two years. She wrote a nonfiction story called Brazil and My Friend Luizinho based on her experience at that time, about a Brazilian boy who loves dancing samba. This was her maiden work, but it was not published until 1970. Most of her works are books for children. Her first successful children's book published Ôdorabô Bula Bula shi [The Robber Bla-Bla] was published in 1981. In 1985, she published the children's novel Majo no Takkyūbin, which was later adapted into the Hayao Miyazaki animated film with the same title. Both the novel and the film are known by the English title Kiki's Delivery Service. The book was awarded the Noma Children’s Literature Award, and she followed on this success with four sequels in the same series. She is the 2018 recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grandpa’s Soup is a wonderful story that illustrates how Grandpa overcame the sorrow of loosing his wife and feeling lonely. Throughout the story he learns to make the soup that his wife used to make, each time adding additional ingredients and then sharing the soup with different visitors each time. Part of the beauty of this book is how Grandpa finds joy in sharing soup with those around him and rediscovering the recipe. In addition, the illustrations are just beautiful! The Japanese illustrator Satomi Ichikawa captures the joy and sorrow of Grandpa in each page. The empty living room where Grandpa used to drink milk and eat bread is dark and gloomy. But as the story continues, we can see more and more light in the illustrations. The story plot also gets happier along with the illustrations.

[Lindsey Erickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is that library book your child picks, you read it once, then hide it until it's time to return them! Every page brings up the fact that Grandma has died and so Grandpa is sad. Also very redundant and the "song" doesn't seem like one at all.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and sweet <3 <3

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

O poveste foarte delicată și duioasă despre pierdere, redescoperire și prietenie.
Este genul de carte fără vârstă cu o poveste care rămâne mereu cu tine.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the sweet grandpa in “Grandpa’s Soup.” He wants to make the soup his dear departed wife used to make, and works to get the recipe just right. The book follows an ascending form as he uses a bigger pot and adds more ingredients each day. More and more animals come to eat the soup with him each day as well. The cycle continues until he finally gets the soup just right and shares it with all the children.
I would have liked to see the animals and children do something for the grandpa in return for the soup. As the story goes, Grandpa ends up buying ingredients and cooking enough soup to share with the mooching creatures each time. If they had helped him make it, or brought him bread or something to go with it, that would have been nicer. Perhaps they all befriend the Grandfather and their companionship is payment enough, but we don’t know if any of them ever visit him unless they smell soup.
The redeeming factor of this book is the beauty of the water color Illustrations. I noticed they start out dark and gloomy while the Grandpa is lonely, but as he starts making soup and sharing with the creatures, the colors brighten, and the smile on Grandpa’s face touched my heart.
I would recommend reading this book to children in preschool to first grade. They will appreciate the arks through out the book, and the story may encourage them to befriend their elders.

[KarenMLISt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always believed our elderly and children need each other in a special way. If not for that theme, I would've given this story 3 stars, but I loved the end so much it gets 4. The Japanese author and illustrator begin this book with an appropriately sad, quiet calm and ease into a joyful, brightness - with a repetition to the text that can get a bit redundant. The repetition does make it more accessible to a young reader and it could also be a great read aloud if the right person does it (with singing etc...). Today's children may not come running for meatball soup, but the story is a worthy read with beautiful illustrations reminiscent of Norman Rockwell.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful text that adds a cute twist. Great illustrations too.

[Mrs. Jensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A grandfather remembers his diseased wife through his attempts to recreate her famous meatball soup.

[Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story a lot. Mama explained why the Grandpa was sad, which made me a little sad, too, but I liked singing about the soup and adding new ingredients each time he made it.

[Ann Dorais]

Simple social story; Nice book about how memories make a difference and having others to share in the process helps bring new joy after loosing his wife.

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tLpw...