Alphabet Soup - Hardcover

Banks, Kate

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394891511 ISBN 13: 9780394891514

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1988

Synopsis

A boy's ability to spell words with his alphabet soup comes in handy during the magical journey he takes in his mind with a friendly bear.

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Reviews

PreS-Gr 2 A young schoolboy dawdles over his lunchtime bowl of noodle soup. After his mother urges him to eat, he spoons the letters B-E-A-R from the soup, and instantly a bear appears, looking somewhat like the honey container on the table. The boy and the bear begin a series of adventures, all of which involve items from the lunch tablea salt shaker becomes a wizard; a teacup becomes a sailboat; a bowl of fruit, a mountain. All of these appear when the boy fishes out appropriate letters from his soup. Illustrations add a dreamy quality to the narration. Soft pastels are washed with textured blue oil paint. Text is printed on honey-colored panels, over which tumble alphabet noodles. An exciting adventure with extra appeal to daydreamers. Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Copyright 1989 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Banks's story begins with a typical dinnertime predicamenta boy will not eat his soup. His mother notes that he is as grumpy as a bear, and so the boy fishes out the letters spelling "bear" from his alphabet soup. With that, he has a companion (looking surprisingly like the honey-filled bear that had been on the table), and their adventures take them through a tablecloth landscape of cups that sail, wise-looking salt shakers and a house (painted on the side of a teapot) where the boy and the bear take shelter for the night. Sis's contribution to this story adds a dimension not found in the text; everything that transpires is governed by what was placed on the table before the fantasy begins; readers can flip back to the opening shot of the boy and venture guesses as to what might happen next. Using oil pastels, the miniature figures have a flat, primitive look against the bluish-white tablecloth that suits both the real-life and more inventive aspects of the tale; Sis also provides a kitchen full of details similar to the backgrounds of his recent Waving. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0394891511
• ISBN 13: 9780394891514
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 24