There's a Giraffe in My Soup: A Playful Picture Book About Restaurant Surprises for Kids

by Ross Burach

What if you found a giraffe in your soup, an alligator in your entreé, an elephant on the table, or even an ostrich in your dish?

In this debut picture book from author-illustrator Ross Burach, an assortment of hairy, scary animals pop out from under the lid at a restaurant!

Jam-packed with adorable illustrations and an assortment of animal puns, this kid-friendly story is sure to delight fans of books by Jon Klassen and Oliver Jeffers!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Food, Humor, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 23, 2016

Reviews

[Polly Seplowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read a loud to my daughter. She was mesmerized by the bold illustrations, and the dialogue between the boy and the waiter was really funny for kids and adults. Definitely moving this one into the daily rotation.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy sends his soup back when he finds a giraffe in it in this entertaining romp of a picture-book, only to discover that the replacement bowl contains an alligator. And so it goes, as each new bowl of soup, brought by an increasingly frazzled waiter, has a creature in it. When the waiter finally reveals that a huge mistake has been made - all of the restaurant's food has been sent to the zoo, and the zoo's residents have been sent to the restaurant - the boy knows what to do...

Children who enjoy stories with a silly sense of humor will relish There's a Giraffe in My Soup, which is author/illustrator Ross Burach's debut book. For my part, I found the story here entertaining, but thought the text itself was sometimes a bit awkward. Something about the title suggested a rhyming text to me, but even a more fluid prose text would have been an improvement. Still, I did think that the artwork was colorful and appealing, and enjoyed the story idea (even if not the text), so overall I would say this was a fairly good debut. Burach is releasing more books later this year (2017), so it will be interesting to see what he does next. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories featuring food and/or a zany sense of humor.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly fresh and funny. The author kept the story predictable, yet unexpected. Readers will see the drama progressing, but will laugh at the surprising consequences of each action. I loved the fulfilling resolution and the clever last page. Goofy art compliments the punny humor and rhyming word-play.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating this book purely on the fact that my 3 year old has requested to read this book no less than a dozen times in the 12 hours hours since we brought it home. My 5 year old happily joins in and they think it's hilarious.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure what it is about and whether or not I'd like it. It seemed to be about an imaginative, whiny little boy.

Nope. This boy complains with good reason! One after another animal appears in his soup. At first the waiter seems in denial. Soon I was laughing out loud. When I laugh, Alena smiles. For that, this book gets four stars at least.

Spoilers...



My favorite line is, "Errrhh..can't he just eat around it?" referring to the gigantic whale the waiter pushes across the page. I love the dessert of moose with a cherry on top and the little boy's exclamation, "Never mind! I'm eating somewhere else!" There's even an explanation of why this happens. The resolution is perfect: the little boy happily follows the animals back to the zoo.

I like the words, the illustrations, and the fun story. I'm definitely looking for more by this author.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young man orders soup at a restaurant only to find a giraffe in it. The second bowl an alligator. This continues until the waiter finally figures out that the zoo got the restaurants food and the restaurant got the animals. Oh well. All's well that ends with dessert, right? Maybe not.

Hilarious story highly recommended for storytime.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of the comedy bit, "There's a fly in my soup," which is OLD. Greek fable or Grover, this joke has not gotten old. Remove fly and insert zoo animals - take it up a notch. Hysterical!

[Leeanne McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious. Lots of different animals. If you do a pompous waiter voice it’s even better. Kids will be very amused.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

L absolutely loves this book. We’ve read it five times so far.

[Cynthia Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book! I love the illustrations and it's a fun read for kids.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A colleague read this book to my class during March Reading Month and who was the most captivated by it? ME! So, I had to get a copy for the classroom. A fun book that will be enjoyed by kids (and some adults) of all ages. The illustrations make the book.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was looking for in a particular storytime theme, but I meant to get to this as a Beehive nominee for next year. It's fun. I think school-age will enjoy in a read-alone. In a storytime if I could read it right. I will consider for preschool. The pictures are half the fun and it would be too difficult for them to see them as well. But worth trying.

7/19/17 Closer in X and Y theme (Yak in there). I had a small group, and I told them to really observe the pictures. It went much better than I expected!

[Kate Puleo Unger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is pretty funny. A boy in a restaurant repeatedly asks for new bowls of soup because each one contains an animal. The animals get crazier and crazier and the boy is quite dramatic. This book is a great read aloud. I enjoyed listening to my son read it to me. And he had a fun time reading it and pointing out the animals in order when we got to the last page.

http://www.momsradius.com/2017/01/juv...

[Carly Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an advance copy and...I'm in love. My daughter is giddy every time I pull this one off the shelf now. The characters are ridiculously adorable, the read-a-loud is incredibly fun, and the illustrations are brilliant. Such a wonderfully quirky concept. Will definitely be coming back to this one again and again.

[Bernie Gofstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterical. The story and illustrations are clever, adorable and funny. Such a random unique book that was a simple joy to read. Still laughing as I write this.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dessert was the best!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great word play and animal silliness.

[Bellsmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

silly willy nilly kind of book.

[Corri Moran]

This is a humorous, silly story about a boy who continuously receives his food in a restaurant with animals in it. It turns out the animals came from the zoo. It even includes some word play for older kids.

I love the silliness of this story, it can be read without paying close attention to detail, and with real young children. I think this is also a great read aloud for upper elementary school students when they need a light read aloud or as a brain break during a long day.

This would pair well with This is Not My Hat and I am Not a Chair.

"One mousse... with a cherry on top!" (moose pictured)

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is obviously based on the old joke, "waiter, there's a fly in my soup". Why would this be funny to kids? I can see that they would enjoy how ridiculous it is, but for me it was too much. The hilarious illustrations are what carries this (weak) story.

Even though my library story time theme this week was "Giraffes", I didn't use this book. I felt that it appeals to an older audience, say K-3.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last one for today! The illustrations and storyline in this one are goofy, and my son cracked up with every new dish and animal! Plus, surprise ending! There was something missing from this for me that I still can't pinpoint, so I guess I'll leave it at that. 👍🏻It would make a really good storytime book, I think!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are in the mood for a funny laugh out loud for your preschooler or toddler, then give this one a try, especially if you remember the classic Sesame Street sketch with Grover "There is a fly in my soup". The soup in this restaurant comes back with all kinds of ridiculous things. Be sure to have your funny voices ready, and be dramatic...and giggle.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book about a hundred times (or more) since I picked it up from the library for my youngest. He absolutely loves it and has, in fact, memorized it. Usually he wants to "read" it to me before I read it to him. It's just a funny book about a boy who orders soup and finds a giraffe in his bowl, followed by a variety of other animals. And that poor waiter.

[Alisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again super funny story of a chef who keeps bringing "animals" in the soup to the table. It runs a little on the long side which is my only complaint. Long being that you can't read it numerous times in a row for a quick bedtime story. But, the illustrations are great and the premise makes you laugh.

[Debra Jonson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the most offensive shit I have read! Giraffes can't fit in soup...I would know, I AM a giraffe! My brethren are now crying in the dying hole from Madagascar because this book refers to us as tiny and gross. Ross Burach, I don't know who you are or who you think you are, but you should be scared. I'm coming for you and your family you dumbass gaybo!

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny book with animal puns - will appeal to older children who like puns.

It may also appeal to younger toddlers because it's a quick short read with colorful, amusing illustrations.

I don't know if there is much of a story, but it was still fun to read and the ending was great.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young boy is at a fancy restaurant and he orders the soup. Unfortunately, even with the best efforts of the snooty waiter, a variety of zoo animals end up in his soup making it uneatable.

Cute illsutrations.

[Sha Liyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrator of this book did a really good job. The graphics were very detailed and fit the story perfect. It was a silly, comedic story that young kids would find enjoyably funny. I liked it, there was a fun twist at the end.

[Katherine Cowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my kids--2, 5, and 7--loved this book and wanted to read it again and again. They would also get excited and say things likes, "No, it's not a frog in your soup, it's an alligator!" Delightful illustrations accompany the text.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a little girl that LOVES giraffes more than anything, this book is absolutely perfect. So many different animals make this story hilarious. The story and the illustrations are great! This makes a VERY fun read aloud!