This is a recipe, in story form. The book will actually tell you how to make a bean soup. In addition to offering your basic recipe, extra cooking advice is offered. What makes this recipe really special is the poetic style and beautiful illustrations.

I am tempted to actually make this recipe! I think it would be fun for students to be a part of too. The way the directions are written with little comments you wouldn't ordinarily find in a recipe make this one extra special. Also, the recipe is offered in English and Spanish both, so it would be a great book for ESL students, and others as and exposure to other languages.

A young boy walks through the steps of making bean soup. In the end of the book there is an included recipe.
Ages: 3-5
Source: Teaching Strategies Gold Boxed Curriculum

I like this book because of the illustrations, the writing, and the point of view the story is told from. I like the illustrations because they do a good job showing what the poem is talking about as readers can see the main character gathering all the ingredients. They also depicts the main character’s childhood innocence as readers can see the messes he is leaving behind as he is gathering ingredients, as well as scenes of him not being able to reach the high shelf and dancing in the beans. These illustrations help readers bond with the main character as they can relate to him or his personality and age. I like the writing style as it is simply written and is in language a child can understand with simple yet descriptive sentences. In addition, I love how the book is bilingual so that children who speak Spanish can read it also, which makes it so that there is a wide variety of students who can read this book. The word choice the author uses also helps create imagery in the story as the words are so descriptive and allow the readers to picture the ingredients. For example, the author says, “First spread the beans out of the sky of the table. The beans are the stars.” In addition, phrases like “brown soup lake” and “the fire will dance” will help students be able to relate to what the character is doing as they are able to picture these things in their head and can also relate to it as they might also think soup looks like a lake or that the stove fire dances. This makes readers be able to picture the ingredients in a different way and allows them to think of the ingredients in a new light through the use of similes and metaphors. The metaphors add a lot to the story and make it sound beautiful and make the words flow together. I also like the point of view the story is told in as it seems like the child is talking to the readers and the readers are able to be engaged in the story as the author talks directly to us. This helps readers connect to the story and gain interest as readers are told how to make the bean soup and are able to watch as the main character does so and describes the ingredients. The message of this story is to appreciate the little things in life and to not take anything for granted. ( )

I liked the book Bean Soup because of its personification and its illustrations. The personification allows the reader to visualize the image. For example, when the narrarator writes, "Smile to yourself as the little flames give the pot a hug," the reader can understand that the flames are wrapped around the pot's edge. The illustrations give more meaning to the text and also gives a more vivid portrayal of the main character, who is a little boy. A picture of the boy in his kitchen throwing beans into the air gives more excitement to his words, "Soooo delicious!" which also allows the reader to feel more excitement about making bean soup. The main message of this book is that it is fun and exciting to make a special dinner for one's family. At the beginning of the book, the boy is playing video games, but then he and his mother start making bean soup. This displays how important making a meal for family is because then the family can enjoy time together over a meal. ( )

Summary: A little boy cooks bean soup. A bilingual cooking poem in Spanish and English.
Genre: informational
Illustrations:
Age group: 4-8
Themes: Family, teamwork, diversity
My impression:
Lesson plan: ( )