Growing Vegetable Soup

by Lois Ehlert

From best-selling and beloved Caldecott Honoree Lois Ehlert comes a bright and beautiful classic about the simple pleasures of gardening.

Calling all budding gardeners! What would you like to grow today? Is it green beans, or peas? Corn or carrots? There's so much to learn in Lois Ehlert's colorful picture book about growing vegetables. First we must collect all the necessary tools, and don't forget the seeds. Then the magic happens: planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, chopping, cooking, and best of all--eating! There's even a recipe for vegetable soup! Ehlert’s simple cut-paper-style illustrations are perfect for even the tiniest growers. A wonderful introduction to gardening from a master storyteller.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Storytime, Gardening, Plants, Cooking

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Lois Ehlert has created numerous inventive, celebrated, and bestselling picture books, including Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Holey Moley, The Scraps Book, Mice, Ten Little Caterpillars, RRRalph, Lots of Spots, Boo to You!, Leaf Man, Waiting for Wings, Planting a Rainbow, Growing Vegetable Soup, and Color Zoo, which received a Caldecott Honor. She lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book that teaches children where food comes from and the pleasure of growing it yourself. Such an important lesson as we try to cope with global hunger. I think that if you understand where your food comes from you are more likely to appreciate the abundance we have here in the US. A very good perspective on the food we (often) take for granted.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read a Red Wagon 2004 very large board book edition of this book.

I love the idea of this: watching the evolution of planting seeds for vegetables to picking or digging out the vegetables, and making the soup with them, and a recipe is even included in the back of the book.

I always loved all but a very few vegetables but I could see parents and other adults using this book (along with the activities it depicts) with toddlers and preschoolers to encourage them to eat vegetables.

I always wanted a vegetable garden when I was a kid. For those children who can participate in growing and picking/digging vegetables, then cooking them into a soup, this is a good introductory book.

I found the colors used in the illustrations garish and not particularly appealing; the vegetables were simply too bright for me. Kids may like the vivid colors though. The idea of the vegetables and the soup (it’s a cold day) was enticing.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a diary entry rather than a true review.
Today Living Classroom had our first graders made vegetable soup from the garden vegetables that they grew themselves. It went really well.
Before we harvested they read this book. The kids seemed to like it and I enjoyed that they caught on to the repetition and the concept.
I'm not a fan of the art style on this one.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the idea of this book, it fell short when reading it during story time. I had read this during a toddler story time, so I would be willing to try reading it to preschool aged children to see if they are more receptive to it. I truly appreciated the impression and information this book was trying to impart, however, the children just didn't enjoy it at the time.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and simple read aloud about growing vegetables. great for 3 or 4 year olds.

[Ginna]

This is a book that I enjoy reading every Spring with my children. You an talk about vegetables and fruits and their differences, you can cook vegetable soup in your classroom and share it as snack. You can do a picture walk first, then have a copy of the book in the different centers and plan different activities such as:
Sensory center: bring the actual vegetables and have them in a center where the children will explore the different smells and will touch different textures in fruits and vegetables.
Math Center: Children will create a venn diagram and will classify fruits and vegetables based in their differences and similitudes.
Cook Center: Cook with your students vegetable soup as a Friday activity
Literacy Center: Retelling the story. Bring props and ask the students to recreate the story.
It is a wonderful book!

[Emily Peer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: This book is a very simple read. Each page has 4-8 words on it and large colorful illustrations. The book uses some challenging words that might need clarifying for a beginning reader.
Read Aloud: I would use this as a read aloud in a kindergarten classroom. You could use this book when teaching about following directions or with a science unit about plants and the process of growing a plant.
Independent Reading- this would be a great book for a beginning reader to read on their own. I would encourage parents to have children be reading these types of books before kindergarten so they are prepared for the upcoming grades. A student who enjoys planting would be interested in reading this story.

[Brittney Finck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The labels throughout this story would make for a great introduction to labeling. The children can see how helpful the labels are then begin applying their own. There are also some words on the labels that could strike up a vocabulary curiosity. The bright colors in the pictures make it fun and the large print makes it a good read aloud story. It could also be used as a way to test students' knowledge on which vegetables grow above ground, which vegetables grow below ground, and which parts of the vegetables we eat.

The recipe on the back cover for Vegetable Soup could make a fun classroom activity; we could make our own vegetable soup!

[Julie Graham 47150 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of my students do not know where their food originates. This book helps kids make the connection between the garden and the table. In the story the father announces to his family that they are going to "grow vegetable soup." The author then describes how the family raises a vegetable garden to make "the best soup ever." A recipe for the tasty soup is also included in the book. Some of my student begged me to make a copy of it to take home. I don't know how many families will actually make it but, as a teacher, it was fun to hear young children wanting to try "vegetable" soup.

[Shelby Everitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing vegetable soup is an adorable book about growing all of the vegetables one would need to make a delicious vegetable stew. Each page talks about the growing process and has big bold pictures so young children can follow along. The tools required to grow vegetables are all in this book, so students who grew up in town can learn about something that they otherwise would never have been exposed to. It is also labeled which is nice so children can pick the book up on their own and instead of reading the story, can simply walk through the book and look at what the different pictures are.

[Whole And · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Growing Vegetable Soup" is a wonderful addition to our summer gardening books. Ehlert created simple illustrations to follow along in the steps of gardening. One of my favourite things that sets Ehlert's books apart is the labeling and teaching of the seeds, tools and all the items used for gardening and making soup. I enjoy seeing the various plants grow on several pages and love the recipe at the end of the story. The pages on this book carry with them the joy experienced through out the planting and growing season, a joy which is crucial to impart to our children.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library has this in a 'big book' format and I used it for a gardening story time. It's really colorful and uses vegetables that kids are familiar with. The kids love these big books anyway, but they really enjoyed seeing the seeds in a larger format. I had more interruptions with awesome questions throughout this story than many of the other stories I read for this program. I think it's due to the larger format, but also just the familiar subject and the ending. I had a lot of 'Yum!' comments at the end, and even a "That looks delicious!"

[Rhaynes5 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing vegetable soup is a great book to bring into the classroom for a nature, spring, or any theme based on vegetables activity. You can discuss with the children different types of vegetables as well as the many colors that are used in the book. We can show children how some vegetables grow by planting a carrot garden for a hands on real life experience. This book is a great correlation to making their own vegetable baskets as well

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect choice for a unit about gardening or planting. Excellent read-aloud for kindergarten.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pages are kind of blindingly bright.

[Christine Randolph · Rating 2 out of 5]

The color combinations are not great. They make it hard to focus on the story .

[Sarah Balmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contemporary Realistic
Grades: K-2
This is a cute and practical way to teach children about gardening and home cooked meals is one of my new favorites. I loved the bright and colorful illustrations from beginning to end, and would definitely use this as a way to talk about science and growing vegetables. This would be an easy book to do various activities with including making vegetable soup, planting vegetables, and talking about patience and hard work. I love this book!

[Charity Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure the children quite understood the difference between growing vegetables and growing vegetable soup, but they like identifying the colors and the vegetables. We followed with a song about vegetable soup where each child brought a different vegetable up to put in the pot. I think it all worked together well.

[Anne Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is sitting beside me at my desk as we speak. Brilliant art. Lois Ehlert is a genius with color and design.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's one of my favorites. not just because for nostalgia reasons, but even before, as a five year old, i remember i really liked, and still do, the colors and the art work presented in the book. it's like cut-outs of paper, yet it's true to the real thing. i liked how the tools and vegetables on the page have labels, aside from the large text of the actual story. i mean the illustrator/author even labels the "worm" found in the broccoli. how's that for organically grown food. no pesticides. there are no outlines on the illustrations which was one of the reasons, why i think the book art was all comprised of cut-outs, but none the less they are very detailed yet simple.

i don't know how my parents thought of the book, but speaking from my point of view as a person who has had the book since childhood, it's a good book. i would recommend this book, but only for children who are creative. Children who like video games and watch nickelodeon or disney would not be a good candidate. why? because they probably wont be impressed by simplicity and static artwork. though i must admit, when i was a child i watched my fair share of tv shows such as lamb chop's play-along, reading rainbow, sesame street, and some 3-2-1 contact.

i've had this book since i was in kindergarten back in the early 90s. i still have it on my book shelf, though it has seen better days. the cover is now faded and the binding held together by tape. I was five when i first read this book. I remember ordering this through those book orders schools would get and distribute in class for interested students.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert explains the process of growing vegetables, starting from seeds all the way to making a pot of soup. A child gathers tools, plants seeds and sprouts, then watches their growth. When the vegetables are ripe, they get picked and pulled, then cut up and cooked into soup. A recipe is included to make vegetable soup at the end of the book.

As someone who grew up on a farm with a huge garden, I love that this book introduces the experience of vegetable gardening to many children. Eating food that you have grown is a fulfilling experience.

The text features a large bold font telling the gardening story, while all the pictured items, including tools, seeds, plants, kitchen utensils and soupware are labeled in smaller type. Gardening and cooking vocabulary is used both in the text and labeled items.

The clear, bright colors should appeal to young readers. Some may feel the colors shown are too bright and almost garish at times.

There are many ways to extend the story, including language, cooking,
art, writing and vocabulary.

For ages 3 to 6, read-aloud, gardening, vegetables, seeds, cooking, season themes and fans of Lois Ehlert.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that has come out of my childhood. It basically starts off with the process of growing a garden full of vegetables that will make up the soup. Each part of the page is given its name so parents can point out to the child and ask them what something is to break-up the book even further.

The writing itself is really simple and easy to read. The letters are bold, black and large while in the easiest of writing so it can be used as an "I Can Read" book for the youngest of readers.

Furthermore the whole page is illustrated in bright colors with no white backgrounds. Just as in the naming of all the parts of the pictures, parents can use the book to help point out colors to children while maybe even helping them to contrast the colors.

To help finish up the interactive atmosphere of the book there is a recipe for vegetable soup on the book so for those who love to cook and/or garden this can be a fun adventure to grow your own vegetable soup with the little ones that you love.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

In another wonderful fall themed book, Lois Ehlert uses a simple story and wonderful pictures to show the reader how to group vegetable soup. The story begins with the idea of growing soup, an idea foreign to children that do not live in an area where is is easy such as I did out West. The child gathers tools and plants the seeds and then watches them grow in the warm sun. Once the vegetables are ready, they are picked and pulled and cut up for soup. The story ends with the anticipation of doing it again next year. There is even a recipe at the end of the book for the reader to make their own vegetable soup.
Possible uses: Vermont seasons, nature, fresh foods, cooking.
I think this would be a fun book to read to students. Students could sign up to bring in different vegetables (grown in their own gardents if possible) and make their own soup. Children are notoriously picky eaters, but when they have a hand in preparation it is amazing what they will try.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This simple story introduces children to the basic growing cycle of garden vegetables. It opens with a child narrator stating, "Dad says we're going to grow vegetable soup." The narrator then explains in simple terms how the family goes about cultivating their vegetables, from planting to harvest. Ehlert illustrates each step with her characteristic collage-style art, more abstract than some of her other work. This is a great introduction to the joy of gardening, and the fact that this garden is a family project, culminating in a shared meal of soup, imbues the story with relational warmth.

With its predictable, simple text and visual warmth, this is a great preschooler read-aloud. It may also be enjoyed by early readers, although they might need help reading the names of vegetables.

[Lanyisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book told a story about a family that was growing a garden to pick the vegetables to make vegetable soup. The author used foreshadowing in the book. It showed the characters in the book planting seeds. It showed the vegetables growing. It showed the characters picking the vegetables and chopping them up. As I read the book my students would guess what was going to happen next. This is why I think the author did a good job in using foreshadowing. If the book was not named Growing Vegetable Soup I think that my students would still have been able to predict that the vegetables were going to be used to make a vegetable soup. I would teach the techniques of foreshadowing by sharing with my students that you can use foreshadowing in all types of stories. I usually see it used in a mystery or suspense story, but it can be used to tell a story as simple as the one in this book.

[Clare Mcpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lois Ehlert grew up in Wisconsin into a family that was always making and creating. Her mother was a seamstress and her father had a fully stocked workshop in his basement containg tools, lumber and art supplies. Lois Ehlerts art style is collage. She creates her art by cutting each paper piece one at a time. Her favorite subjects are nature and animals. I picked the book growing vegetable soup due to its simple introduction to vegetable vocabulary. I like to use this book when we are discussing spring and planting. I have a clear root vegetable growung kit. The children choose the root vegetables and we observe and document the growth in our journals.

[Bethany Sutherland]

Growing Vegetable Soup is a book about the process it takes to be able to make the soup. First, you have to plant the seeds and water them. Keep watering them until they sprout. Pick any weeds or worms that don't need to be there and continue to water them. Once the vegetables are ready, you have to pick them and bring them to the house where they will get chopped up and thrown into the soup.

I liked this book because it reminds me of the garden we have back home. We use the vegetables for all kinds of uses.

I think I would read this book aloud to the class one day to start off the day or right after a break to have them relaxed.

[Abby Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bursting with learning opportunities, Growing Vegetable Soup is primarily a list before anything else. The plot takes place over nearly the entire year, beginning with planting seeds and ending with the consumption of the foods produced. Without background knowledge of the time it takes to grow plants, the audience might walk (or crawl) away from this understanding that vegetables grow within a few days rather than over weeks or months. The colors are striking and bold, though there's perhaps not enough contrast between the background and the objects of a given image.

[Chrissi Guarnieri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing Vegetable Soup is an informative book about what plants may grow in the garden, and simple garden care instructions. The pages are brightly illustrated with simple and labeled images. This book is perfect to introduce a baby or toddler to vegetables and gardening.
Baby Toddler

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that this book has lots of vegetables in it. I think this helps Nakyla get excited about eating them.