Carrot Soup gets 4 Stars

We checked this book out from the library a few weeks ago.  Whenever we check out books we end up checking out at least 15-20 books.  

I know for some of you with loads of kids 15-20 books is child's play.  However, I only have two kids and 15-20 books is plenty to keep track of.  

We picked up Carrot Soup by John Segal on the whim, and it has become quite a favorite for both kiddos.  The pictures and text are fun and simple, and it is absolutely perfect for preschoolers. 

I gave Carrot Soup 4 out of 5 stars.  It's a great story and a fun read about friendship.  Your kids will want to read over and over again, and you surprisingly won't go crazy doing such.  I do think the writing was a bit weak in parts of the story, and therefore the reason for the lower score.  However, I did give it bonus points b/c the kids do love this book so very much. 

All in all, Carrot Soup is a great book for toddlers and preschoolers b/c of the predictability of the story as well as the fun surprise at the end the reader is a part of.  A teacher in Kindergarten  or First Grade could do a simple inference lesson with Carrot Soup, but a 2nd grade or even 3rd grade teacher could also do a lesson about farming. 

The basis of the story is Rabbit loves carrot soup and plans to grow carrots for the purpose of enjoying carrot soup.  His friends know he loves carrot soup so much that they end up making it for him and surprising Rabbit with the soup.  A bonus at the end of the story is a recipe for Carrot Soup.  

My kiddos loved the story so much they started to request carrot soup for dinner daily.  Finally, I adapted Segal's Carrot Soup recipe and made quite the creamy and delicious Carrot Soup.  Check back tomorrow for the delicious carrot soup that my kids couldn't get enough of. 

Amazon had the following book review: 

  

"Here's a springtime book that's great for kids who love planning and doing projects. Rabbit, a very organized animal, loves carrot soup. He spends the long winter paging through carrot catalogs (a full-page spread shows the different colors, shapes, and sizes of eight kinds of carrots). Then he plows and plants, waters and weeds, and waits. Finally it's time to harvest, but when he goes to pick the carrots, they are all gone. He frantically questions all the animals he knows, but not one admits to liking carrots. "Discouraged and disappointed, Rabbit went home," where he discovered a wonderful surprise. The clues are in Segal's stylized pencil and watercolor pictures, and observant children won't have any trouble determining where the carrots went. The delicate springtime greens and browns used in the background contrast nicely with Rabbit's comically expressive face. A recipe for carrot soup provides an appetizing finish."

Overall, Carrot Soup by John Segal is a good book, and a great one for the younger kids.  It has potential for teachers to use in their classrooms as well as librarians to use for lessons.  

Go check this book out, but more importantly check out the recipe tomorrow.