Perfect Soup

PreS-Gr 2—Between the carrot-covered endpapers, Murray, a bit of a perfectionist, is getting ready to make soup. When the mouse discovers he is out of carrots, he bundles up and runs through the snow to ask the farmer for the missing veggie. Farmer agrees if, in return, Murray hauls some logs. So begins a frantic chase as the mouse goes from Horse to Shopkeeper to Miller's Boy to a knitting neighbor as each agrees to help in some way in return for something else. As Murray frantically goes from place to place, he runs by a snowman (sharp-eyed readers will notice the missing nose) who keeps inviting him to play. But "Murray was in a hurry" and too busy to respond. Finally, frustrated in his carrot quest, the despondent mouse gets a scoop of snow from the snowman to cool the knitter's hot drink—and nothing is asked in return. This results in each neighbor giving the mouse what he wants until he receives a carrot that doesn't end up in the soup but as a gift to his new friend. The rhythmic text is coupled with snow-filled scenes from varying perspectives full of delightful details: the knitter's house is shaped like a tea cozy, Murray's stocking cap reflects his mood, the shopkeeper's eyebrows are curly. Libraries looking for books on friendship and perseverance with a dash of snow and soup mixed in will want to consider this title.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI