The storyThis book is set around a farming family, Papa Joe, Mama Sue, Sam, Toby and Jane. One day they learned that rich Aunt Tootie was coming for dinner so the family set out to clean up the house, the yard, do the laundry but most importantly, first start to make the stew. "We may be poor said Mama Sue. But we can cook up a hearty stew as good as Tooties ever tasted."
While the family was doing the chores and the stew was cooking, Mama Sue remembered it needed some pepper. One by one she asked each family member to add a pinch of pepper, but each one was busy with his or her chores.
However, as each one finished a chore, he or she went in and put in a pinch of pepper. Of course, Mama Sue didn't know that so when she was done with her chores she added 4 pinches to make it "hearty."
Aunt Tootie came and was given the best chair and the plate without the crack and waited for her to taste what they thought would be a delicious stew. Of course it wasn't and in the way of "Who put the cookie in the cookie jar?" She asked, "Who put the pepper in the pot?" and of course each one answered "I put the pepper in the pot!"
Everyone got a good laugh out of it once they realized what had happened and much to the family's surprise Aunt Tootie offered to make an omelet - luckily there was no more pepper in the house!
The illustrations:
The pictures are colorful and adorable. There is a lot going on in each picture showing what the family is doing. We see each family member doing their chores and putting in pinches of pepper. The pictures are simple but detailed at the same time. They are the kind of pictures that children want to look at for a long time taking in each thing they see.
What the children thought:
I read this book to first graders primarily and they love it. Do you like to hear children laugh. This book will make them laugh and giggle. It is really very cute and very funny. It is a good starting to read book with simple words such as pot, water, chores, clothes, and clean.
To make a lesson out of it, we talk about the chores they do around the house and that usually begins a whole discussion of chores!
But Wait There is more to this book:
1. There are 2 pages on "Food Funnies" with questions like "What do you call a chicken from outer space?" The answer: An eggs-traterrestrial. The children love doing these riddles and end up thinking up their own, of course.
2. There are 4 excellent pages on "Safety rules for kids in the kitchen." The children are taught what to do before they start cooking, while they are cooking, what to do when they finish cooking, and important things to remember.
This chapter is an excellent way to end a funny book. It is a serious discussion, but the children don't mind. They enjoy sharing what they know about kitchen safety and how they help in the kitchen - what they can and cannot do. I often have them sit in a circle and go around the room talking about kitchen safety if they want.
3. The last chapter is The Usborne Round the World Cookbook with a recipe from Latin America, Japan and India. They are simple recipes that young children can help you make and for the children on the older end of the age range, with supervision, they can make a Cucumber raita themselves.
My thoughts:
I really like this book and would have it in my house if my children were small. It is a book that you can read over and over again as well as having practical information in it.
