Heather Forest

When two hungry travelers find themselves in a prosperous-looking mountain village, they are surprised to discover that no one is willing to share any food with them. Deciding that the residents need a lesson - in the form of a communal meal - the travelers set out to make that famous culinary creation known stone soup. Soon, villagers young and old are contributing the ingredients necessary for the soup, learning along the way that sharing makes everything go further.

Although I have a show more nostalgic fondness for Marcia Brown's Stone Soup, which is the version of this tale I read growing up, this newer adaptation by Heather Forest is also very appealing. Forest has chosen to remove her tale from any specific cultural or geographic setting (the Brown retelling is from the French tradition), but she shows respect for the folklore from which it comes, mentioning the many variants of the tale to be found in European folklore. The accompanying illustrations by Susan Gaber are colorful and appealing, depicting a diverse community. Although I did feel that the narrative was sometimes a little too didactic - the reader doesn't need to be told that sharing is desirable, the story demonstrates that on its own - this was still an engaging title. show less

(100) Colonial-era baker Van Amsterdam learns the value of generosity and invents the concept of the "baker's dozen" in this tale with just a sprinkle of the supernatural. The style of the book's watercolor illustrations are consistent with its publication date of 1988. While this book lacks some of the storytelling panache of Forest's Stone Soup, it is a pleasant holiday tale set during the holiday season. Its reference to St. Nicholas-shaped cookies -- but not to Christmas -- makes it a show more palatable option for multicultural communities. show less

I really enjoyed reading this story for many reasons. One reason is because of the way the book was written. The words are clear and to the point. They also rhyme. For example, on the first page it says that the travelers wore “dusty shoes [that] had holes in their soles.” This is a great way to keep the words of the book flowing and to have a rhythm to a traditional story like this one. Another reason why I loved this book is because it is repetitive which can be used for a shared show more reading activity. The repetition helps to strengthen the reader’s knowledge of words and their ability to read the book smoothly. For example, a phrase that repeats in the book is “Bring what you’ve got! Put it in the pot! We’re making Stone Soup." I also loved this book because it has an extra-textual feature in the back – a recipe for making Stone Soup. The last ingredient in the recipe is “sharing”. Lastly, and perhaps the biggest reason why I love this book is for its main message: sharing. The story starts off with villagers who are not willing to share their food. Slowly, the visitors convince the villagers to each bring something, even if it is small. In the end, they all enjoy eating the huge soup that they all made and shared together. show less

I have to agree with the last line in this humorous and creative book ���For fairies��� gold, they say, is like love or knowledge���or a good story. It is most valuable when it���s shared.��� The Woman Who Flummoxed The Fairies is just that- a very good story.

I found the illustrations rustic-old timer, but full of beautiful detail. Throughout the book I found myself snickering at what the bakerwoman made these fairies do. The kids were laughing at the scene of show more items floating out of the house by these invisible fairies, which was witness by a very flummoxed husband a baby. Even the dog and the house cat floated out the window.

The ending had me laughing so hard it became contagious. The baby���s final role in the whole ordeal was priceless. This is one story that we all loved as a family, that we have read over and over again-never tiring of the laughter it produces. show less