The most delicious soup and other stories by Mariana Ruiz Johnson, translated by Rosalind Harvey

 A key difference between American and European picture books is that European titles are more likely to leave stories open-ended or do slice-of-life style tales while American books tend to be very cut-and-dried, with a definitely conclusion and often a moral. Generally speaking, the open-ended European style isn't very popular in my library, but sometimes, usually because of the illustrations, I'll come across one that I know I will be able to interest families in and this is that book.

I was personally attracted to it because I like detailed illustrations and things in the miniature style, and the description of little stories in a small village was intriguing. The book turned out to be just as delightful as advertised, reminding me a little of some of the stories of my childhood with a modern feel and quirky openings for discussion.

Coco and his mom, both crocodiles, adopt a beetle named Thunder. Coco loves Thunder dearly, but the beetle is sometimes destructive and after leaving a big poop on the floor Mom sends the beetle outside. Fortunately, Thunder is not far away and Mom peeks in to see the two best friends playing a wild game on Coco's bed at night.

Luis spends time with Grandma after school every day. When it's raining, the turtle duo can't make their usual trip to the lake and go to the library instead, where they experience the wonder of a number of classic stories. When they get home, they make banana bread and play video games. Grandma wins!

Gina and her dad, with a younger duckling in a sling, are out shopping and Gina wants a lot of things. She throws a temper tantrum when she can't get everything she wants, but eventually calms down and is ready to move on.

Coco returns with friends Paco, a rabbit, and Tiana, a frog. They set up camp in the backyard, but right in the middle of a scary story it starts raining! They take shelter inside where the story can continue, but it's cut short with the appearance of a monster... who turns out to be Tiana's grownup with a chocolate cake.

The final story brings everyone in Villa Verde together in a version of Stone Soup, where the whole community contributes to delicious soup, no trickery needed, which forms the focal point of a lovely evening event. With a stern reminder from the cook, Mrs. Bear, they all help to clean up and drift home to bed - but the kids are still wide-awake!

The quirky stories, animal characters, and little details are not conducive to a typical storytime, but in small groups or one-on-one this will be a fun book to read and discuss. Younger children will quite happily take the stories at face value without needing a conclusive ending and find the final community gathering a comforting and peaceful end while older, elementary-age students will easily slip into discussions of the stories and behavior of the different characters.

Verdict: This won't be for everyone, but if you have a large audience of older listeners and readers and plenty of families who read one-on-one, it's likely to be very appealing.

ISBN: 9781922610614; Published February 2024 by Berbay; Review copy provided by Publisher's Spotlight; Donated to the library