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Stone Soup Muth, Jon J [hardcover]

Paper Cavalier US
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US $24.24
Approximately£17.91
Condition:
New
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eBay item number:146318069930
Last updated on 23 Jun, 2025 18:07:23 BSTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. See the ...
ISBN
9780439339094

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Scholastic, Incorporated
ISBN-10
043933909X
ISBN-13
9780439339094
eBay Product ID (ePID)
27038295219

Product Key Features

Book Title
Stone Soup
Number of Pages
32 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Legends, Myths, Fables / General, People & Places / Asia, Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic, Social Themes / Values & Virtues
Publication Year
2003
Illustrator
Yes, Muth, Jon J.
Genre
Juvenile Fiction
Author
Jon J. Muth
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
0.3 in
Item Weight
14.4 Oz
Item Length
10.3 in
Item Width
9.3 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Juvenile Audience
LCCN
2002-003776
Reviews
Three wandering Buddhist monks investigate the nature of happiness by feeding the wary, selfish inhabitants of a Northern Chinese village soup made from three stones. Sound vaguely familiar? Muth sets his version of the well-known European folktale in the early years of Qing Dynasty China. Wars and famines have made the villagers justifiably reluctant to welcome strangers, even monks, and so suspicious they hoard food from one another. Muth''s muted blue-and-gray watercolors are ideally suited to portraying the inhospitable village, swathed in mountain mists, as well as the appealing girl in her bright yellow jacket who breaks the ice and draws the other villagers from behind their locked doors to contribute ingredients to the soup. Carrots and onions are followed by cabbages, pea pods, noodles, mushrooms, dumplings, bean curd, cloud ear and mung beans, winter melon, taro root, ginger, soy sauce and lily buds--a mouthwatering celebration of Chinese cooking. The monks'' effort at community development triumphs as the villagers happily feast together at one very long table, then watch a shadow puppet play accompanied by music played on traditional Chinese instruments. In a detailed author''s note, Muth explains how he meshed "the Buddha story tradition, where tricksters spread enlightenment rather than seeking gain for themselves" with a story rooted in European folklore. His respect for Chinese people and their culture makes this serving of fusion cuisine delicious and satisfying.--Horn Book, March 2003 Muth has taken this old tale and transplanted it from its traditional European setting to China. The tricksters are no longer hungry travelers or soldiers but Buddhist monks. Their goal in fooling the villagers is not to fill their own stomachs but rather to enlighten them about the happiness that comes from sharing. Muth''s characteristic watercolor illustrations, with their striking use of misty hues contrasted with bright primaries, are expertly done and convey a distinct sense of place. In his author''s note, the reteller details the elements of Chinese folklore that he incorporated into the story as well as the symbols from Eastern culture used in the artwork. However, Muth''s decision to alter the motivation of the tricksters also depresses some of the humor in the story and gives it a moralistic tone. In addition, the likelihood that these initially suspicious and reclusive villagers would become truly happy people as a result of their own gullibility is slim. This is a beautifully executed book with a flawed story line.--School Library Journal, March 2003 Muth freshens a familiar folktale with a change of setting. Three Zen monks arrive in a Chinese mountain village where hard times have made villagers distrustful of strangers and selfish toward one another. Undeterred by a lack of welcome, the monks set about preparing dinner soup, which, as the story traditionally goes, draws the villagers from their sheltered homes with ingredients to enrich the pot, thereby reinvigorating the community. The muted, unexceptional telling is less successful than the expressive pictures, which bloom in color as the soup thickens; the misty grays and blues of the mountains and empty village square gradually become vibrant, climaxing in a spread of villagers eating at a crowded, seemingly endless table, enjoying food and one another''s company beneath the glow of red lanterns. A note at the back explains Muth''s change of venue. An unusual version that kids will want to compare to other adaptations of the story. --Booklist, January 15, 2003 With the same aesthetic grace he displayed with Tolstoy''s The Three Questions, Muth here transports a classic tale to rural China. The setting not only allows his evocative, impressionistic watercolors to play over mist and mountains but also affords an opportunity for Buddhist underpinnings. Three monks of varying ages stop at a village whe, "Delicious and satisfying." -- The Horn Book * "With the same aesthetic grace he displayed with Tolstoy's The Three Questions, Muth here transports a classic tale to rural China. The setting not only allows his evocative, impressionistic watercolors to play over mist and mountains but also affords an opportunity for Buddhist underpinnings. ... And while the tale of "Stone Soup" can be told to make fools of the villagers, here it becomes an offering as generous as Muth's villagers turn out to be. -- Publishers Weekly , starred review, "Muth's characteristic watercolor illustrations. . . are expertly done and convey a distinct sense of place." -School Library Journal, "[Muth's] His respect for Chinese people and their culture makes this serving of fusion cuisine delicious and satisfying" -Horn Book
Dewey Edition
21
Grade From
Preschool
Dewey Decimal
398.2 E
Grade To
Third Grade
Synopsis
Three strangers, hungry and tired, pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist., Award-winning artist Jon J Muth retells the favorite tale of a selfish community who is tricked into creating a delicious soup from stones. Set in China in Muth's hauntingly beautiful watercolors.Three strangers, hungry and tired, pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king! In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist., Three strangers, hungry and tired, pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king! In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist., Award-winning artist Jon J Muth retells the favorite tale of a selfish community who is tricked into creating a delicious soup from stones. Set in China in Muth's hauntingly beautiful watercolors. Three strangers, hungry and tired, pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist.
LC Classification Number
PZ8.1.M966St 2003

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Paper Cavalier US

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Average for the last 12 months
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4.8
Reasonable postage cost
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Delivery time
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    Fast shipping, excellent quality, just like the description, very well packaged, excellent price, looks great, Recommended Seller AAA+++
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    This item was mailed promptly, arrived by the anticipated delivery date, and was exactly as described. Item was securely packaged and, as a result, was undamaged during shipment. Buyer appreciated the communication from the seller.
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    Past month
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    Shipped promptly in a safe package, arrived as described. Wonderful seller, would love to work with again!