We’re getting into the heart of winter now, and those who live in the colder regions are feeling that frosty bite of January’s chill. Fortunately, there are a few surefire remedies to go from freezing cold to toasty warm: a crackling fire, a cozy blanket, or a hot mug of soup. In fact, January is a perfect time to celebrate the restorative powers of a good soup, as it’s also National Soup Month. For our part, we’ve gathered five lovely picture books centered around soup so you and your little ones will have something to read as you eat.
Soup for Lunch by Tammi Salzano, Illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich
For a chilly, rainy day, there’s just nothing better than a bowl of warm chicken noodle soup, as the young protagonist of this title points out. He and his toddler sister are each offered a bowl by their mother to warm up, after which the boy falls asleep at the table, and begins to dream. Suddenly, his sister’s soup bowl is fifteen times its usual size, and is quickly tipped over, causing a river of soup to flow through their home! Energetic, silly, and full of playful illustrations — the family’s fluffy sheepdog is a particular delight — this story is sure to leave little ones with the giggles.
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Omu is feeling excited: the marvelous red stew she’s cooking is looking scrumptious. As she leaves the pot to simmer, the delectable scent draws a knock on her door: a little boy who asks politely for a taste. Omu gladly offers him a ladleful, only to find that more neighbors have also been drawn by the stew’s smell, arriving with bowls in hand. Omu joyfully ladles out the plentiful stew so everyone can have a taste until it comes time to fill her bowl when she realizes that all the stew is all gone. However, there’s one more knock on the door, one that brings a welcome surprise. Mora’s timeless tale is deservedly celebrated for its beautiful message of community and generosity and is a must-read.
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai
A simple tale beautifully told: a mother and daughter spend the day preparing a hearty dinner of soup. First, they go to the market and select the ingredients, then the mother helps guide her daughter safety through chopping and preparing them. The little girl picks the noodle shape, the mother adds the spices, and they play together as it simmers. When Dad gets home, they enjoy their meal together filling their bellies with warmth and love. Iwai does a great job of working in early color, number, and shape identification as well, but those are just a few of the ingredients that make this heartwarming recipe so satisfying.
Freedom Soup by Tami Charles, Illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara
Today, Belle and Ti Gran are making Freedom Soup, a New Year’s Day tradition in Haiti. Belle assumes that the dish’s moniker is because the soup is free, but Ti Gran corrects her that the soup is anything but. In fact, the recipe represents Haiti’s painful history of slavery — which Ti Gran can trace back through her and Belle’s own ancestry — and the eventual Haitian rebellion. Charles’s powerful prose combines beautifully with Alcántara’s soulful illustrations to create a superior type of storytelling, which captures both the heartbreak and joy of Haiti’s history, as well as the jubilant kitchen activity of grandmother and grandaughter crafting the soup (and yes, there’s a recipe for the delicious-looking soup in the backmatter).
The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup by Hunter Liguore, Illustrated by Vikki Zhang
In Nanni’s big metal pot is an entire world: the seeds that grew the vegetables, the honeybees who pollinated their flowers, the farmers and hands who picked them, even the drivers of the produce trucks and of the bus that took Nanni and her grandaughter to market to buy them. It’s a family recipe, too, so their whole ancestry is inside the pot, as is the love they have passed on through the making of this particular stew. Liguore and Zhang weave a beautiful story of global community and an appreciation for the provenance of the food we eat, yet one that is still filled with warmth and whimsy.
We hope that you and the little soup lovers in your life enjoy the books on this list! Hopefully, they are just as satisfying as a bowl of your favorite soup or stew. Happy reading!
To see more of our favorite children’s books, check out our article on Ten Enchanting Books About Snow.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
