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m0rganh's review against another edition
3.0
The text works better as a song but boy are the illustrations lovely.
jonireads's review against another edition
2.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Truth be told I really wasn't a fan of this book and it didn't hold my children's attention at all. I had very high hopes for it because the cover is just beautiful.
A few things just didn't work for me. The book seemed to be more about making soup because the weather was getting cold than it was about the full moon. It just didn't make sense to me and what kid wants to read about soup? The second thing that bothers me is that there was really no flow to the words. I like children's books that just flow off the tongue. They don't have to rhyme but I like when they have a cadence or rhythm to them and this book totally lacked it.
I'm definitely disappointed because I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it was a no go.
Truth be told I really wasn't a fan of this book and it didn't hold my children's attention at all. I had very high hopes for it because the cover is just beautiful.
A few things just didn't work for me. The book seemed to be more about making soup because the weather was getting cold than it was about the full moon. It just didn't make sense to me and what kid wants to read about soup? The second thing that bothers me is that there was really no flow to the words. I like children's books that just flow off the tongue. They don't have to rhyme but I like when they have a cadence or rhythm to them and this book totally lacked it.
I'm definitely disappointed because I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it was a no go.
azuki's review
3.0
The concept of this book, and its illustrations, are beautiful -- on a frosty night, a grandmother and child prepare to welcome neighbors and strangers alike with a cauldron of soup. Belonging, generosity, and the connective power of sharing food and home are warmly portrayed, as are the magical creatures that accompany some of the white protagonists' multi-racial guests.
Workman's narrative is told through the lyrics of his song by the same title, and its most tender verse is also its most disappointing. "We'll make enough to feed everyone we know / We'll make enough to feed everyone we don't" (two lines that moved me) is followed directly by "No one is different, everyone's alone." Given that this story centers around white characters, this line strikes me as the "colorblind" brand of multiculturalism that pretends that difference does not exist... a stance that obscures the normativity and "default" of whiteness. What if the line had read, "Everyone is different, no one is alone"? For readers of color, this sends a much different message.
Workman's narrative is told through the lyrics of his song by the same title, and its most tender verse is also its most disappointing. "We'll make enough to feed everyone we know / We'll make enough to feed everyone we don't" (two lines that moved me) is followed directly by "No one is different, everyone's alone." Given that this story centers around white characters, this line strikes me as the "colorblind" brand of multiculturalism that pretends that difference does not exist... a stance that obscures the normativity and "default" of whiteness. What if the line had read, "Everyone is different, no one is alone"? For readers of color, this sends a much different message.
rrrrj's review
3.0
I am SO FRUSTRATED by this book because the art is truly gorgeous, the story is fluid and musical and touching but still has enough simple and solid details for kids to latch onto - but because the text is song lyrics and not actually a story for children, the line "No one's different and everyone's alone" is a jarring interruption.
This is one of several picture books I have finished reading, sighed, and checked the "about the author" to confirm my suspicion that it was by a musician. I like Hawksley Workman's music, a lot. But just make it "Everyone's different and nobody's alone", or if that violates the integrity of the song, leave the line out or re-write it. It's a children's picture book. Translate your work.
This is one of several picture books I have finished reading, sighed, and checked the "about the author" to confirm my suspicion that it was by a musician. I like Hawksley Workman's music, a lot. But just make it "Everyone's different and nobody's alone", or if that violates the integrity of the song, leave the line out or re-write it. It's a children's picture book. Translate your work.
libraryofkayla's review
2.0
I’m not familiar with the song and I don’t think it really works as a story. Not sure how interested little kids are in soup. The illustrations are lovely though and have an old fairy tale vibe to them.
eastofreaden's review
5.0
I think it's almost unfair for me to rate/review this, because I've been a ridiculous nerdy fan of Hawksley Workman's for nearly 17 years. To me, he can do no wrong. Everything he does is genuine and heavy with emotion, and regardless of how simple it may seem to someone, it's always something that I'm in awe of. Everyone seems to have "that" person that they admire and appreciate for what they give to the world, and Hawksley is definitely that person for me.
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