The most delicious soup And other stories

The Villa Verde plaza is full of animals, which Ruiz Johnson (While You Are Sleeping) portrays as stylized, clothed, upright forms with elegant, expressive eyes. A tortoise blows a bubblegum bubble; a chicken's straw-filled stroller contains an egg; a duck jumps rope between a rabbit and a frog. Five stories follow in a natural-sounding translation by Harvey. In "Firm friends," a young croc-like reptile called Coco falls in love with Thunder, a blue ladybug up for adoption at the market, then discovers the pet's raucous side. In "Journeys on paper," Grandma and Luis, both tortoises, head to the library on a rainy afternoon. Third tale "That's enough, Gina!" sees a young duck overtaken by desire for everything she sees at the market. Coco stars again in "Scary camping," in which a thunderstorm interrupts a tent-side storytelling session. And in the grand finale, "The most delicious soup," the whole village comes together to feast--and to clean up. In this idyllic testament to village existence, life is good for the children of Villa Verde, whose caretakers indulge them with banana bread and chocolate cake, and even a local owl helps when a treasured balloon gets loose. Ages 3--6. (Feb.)

A town offers up delicious soup and delightful adventures. This picture book made up of five engaging stories gives readers a peek into Villa Verde and the activities of its lively animal inhabitants. First up is a tale of a child who begs his mom for a pet--an insect who turns out to be a rather pesky nuisance and is ultimately banished to the outdoors. Other stories feature a grandmother and grandson who experience exciting escapades on a rainy day via the pages of library books; kids who are forced to move their camping trip indoors when it begins raining, but they have fun anyway telling scary stories; a young child who throws a tantrum when her dad won't buy her everything she wants; and, finally, the title story, in which townsfolk not only collaborate to prepare the scrumptious meal but then party and tidy up afterward.This cheery Australian import, originally published in Colombia and translated from Spanish, will entertain children with its brief, sweet, down-to-earth tales and wide-eyed characters whose exploits and dialogue spring from realistic scenarios. The overarching themes of cooperation and friendship shine through. The crisp, quirky illustrations are charming and set in frameless panels, comic book--style, another reason kids will appreciate this title. Names and visual cues imply a Latin American setting. Children will eat this congenial collection right up. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.