Stone Soup

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
Illustrated by Marcia Brown
Published by Charles Scribner's Sons
Caldecott Medal 1947

     Three soldiers in a foreign country were making their way home from an unnamed war.  They hadn't eaten for two days and were very tired and hungry.  In the distance they saw the lights of a village and hoped to find a bite to eat and a place to rest. But the villagers heard the approaching soldiers, and they "feared strangers," so they quickly decided to hide their food.  When the soldiers reached the village, they went door to door asking for food and lodging but they always heard 'no' as an answer.  Quick on their feet, the soldiers announced they'll just have to make stone soup, and tricked the villagers to bring all the ingredients on their wish list.  When the stone soup was finally ready, the peasants end up bringing tables and they all shared the meal. "Never had there been such a feast.  Never had the peasants tasted such soup.  And fancy, made from stones!"
     Stone Soup is a classic. The story has been retold many times since Brown's version of the French story was published in 1947. But hers is my favorite.  Though the illustrations are done with only reds, whites and blacks, the facial expressions add so much detail that I didn't miss other colors.  There is also a lot to discuss about the story: the peasants attitude towards the soldiers (it's during a war so their fears and selfishness might be warranted), the trickery of the soldiers, and the joy found in sharing -even with a stranger you once feared.  Classic.

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis

A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis by Matt de la Peña
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
2011

     Back in college at Northwestern University, I took an amazing class titled "History and Anthropology of Sports."  I grew up loving sports, watching all of them on TV and playing a couple of them as well.  One sport I never had any interest in was boxing.  And then I took that class...and read a biography on Joe Louis.  During one of the weeks of school, I had to read two books: one on Joe Louis and one on soccer (my favorite sport).  Well, I was so mesmerized by this boxer that I only discussed one book during the class meeting.  My professor, who was my mentor and knew me well, couldn't believe I didn't even made a single reference to the soccer book.  That's how amazing Joe Louis' story was.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to find a new picture book about him.
     A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis tells us about his beginnings as a child ridiculed for his stuttering. "Words spinning just beyond Joe's grasp, and with black skin he passed through childhood in shadows."  We learn about his trips to the gym, learning how to box and "slowly stepping out of the shadows."  He found a new home "between the ropes."  Knowing that back then, as a black man, he would not win fights by a decision, Joe Louis had knock them all down. The book focuses on the most important fight Louis ever fought against the German Max Schmeling.  That fight was about more than a world title, it was a battle between America and Nazi Germany, and all of the US, white and black, united to see Joe Louis defeat the German.
     As I was reading A Nation's Hope, I couldn't help but think that the writing by Matt de la Peña flowed as smoothly as a boxer dancing in the ring.  The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are nothing short stunning (the portrait of Joe Louis as young man, with his hands resting between his legs is hauntingly beautiful). Nelson plays with angles and perspectives that ad dynamic movement, as if our eyes are moving around the ring, following the boxers' feet.  Gorgeous biography of an amazing man.

   

The Enemy: a book about peace

The Enemy: a book about peace by Davide Cali
Illustrated by Serge Bloch
2009

     Let me first say that The Enemy, originally published in French as L'Enemmi, is classified as a picture book for children ages 4-8.  I personally cannot imagine reading this book to anyone under 8.  That said, this book should be read by EVERYBODY over 8!
     The story takes place in a battlefield.  There are two soldiers, each hiding in its own trench, and they have never seen each other.  The narrator is one of the soldiers who tells us about his enemy, "The enemy and I have nothing in common." "He is a wild beast," who doesn't know mercy. "I know this because I read it in my manual." "The enemy is not a human being."  As the days and months pass, the soldier starts to wonder if the war will ever end. Maybe if he sneaks up on his enemy and kills him, then "the war will be over and I can go home to my family." He leaves his trench and finds his enemy's empty and inside it there's is a manual, just like his but with him as the face of the enemy.  In his enemy's manual, he is the monster.
     The Enemy is an amazing, powerful, and timeless story about the pointlessness of war.  It's a picture book that could be use even in a high school classroom to generate a reaction and a debate about war.  The Enemy stays with you long after you've finished it.