Perfect Soup

I confess that I love making soup, especially when the weather is cold. Murray, a mouse, agrees with me: “Soup is perfect on a snowy day.” So he fills a pot with water, opens his cookbook, and begins preparing the perfect soup. After adding potatoes, tomatoes, and corn, Murray realizes he has no carrots. He runs to the farmer, who asks Murray to do a task in exchange for the carrots, setting up a series of activities designed to let Murray haul some logs to get his carrots. This is a delightful picture book that will have youngsters predictably chanting along. The illustrations provide richly colored winter scenes that, while uncommon for Texas, provide plenty of opportunities for children to appreciate Murray's hard work. In the end, the carrot serves another purpose but the soup is still perfect!