ALR November~December 1999

Books: Por Favor, Mas Sopa De Pepino

Sopa de Pepino (Cucumber Soup)
Vickie Leigh Krudwig
Illustrated by Craig McFarland Brown. Translated by Antonio Hernandez Madrigal
Fulcrum Publishing 1998, Golden, Colorado. $16.95

This is an enchanting story of how miniscule, seemingly weightless insects manage to move a cucumber away from the entrance to their home. The ten ants left in search of food and returned to find that they were unable to enter their home as it was block- ed by a long fat cucumber that had fallen out of a garden basket.

When the ants cried for help to move the obstruction, nine mosquitoes willingly volunteered to help, pushing and pulling the vegetable but to no avail. In turn, the nine mosquitoes asked for help and their request was answered by eight lady bugs.
This story is not only a counting book but with each group of insects mentioned, there is also a description of the insect, where they live, and of how they contribute to ecology. Included in this explanation are some new and sophisticated vocabulary words.

The reader is made aware of the immensity of the task and the enormity of the cucumber through the illustrations. The drawings depict various views and perspectives of the insects as they look at the cucumber from angles above, below, on the sides and at the ends. The visual concept emphasizes the difficulty of the creatures’ struggle. In addition the book wants the reader to see the value of team work . It’s obvious that ten little ants can’t move the big cucumber on their own. So they call upon mosquitoes, lady bugs, spiders, honeybees, butterflies, lightning bugs, locusts, grasshoppers, praying mantis and last of all, the tiny flea to push and pull together to solve their dilemma .

When the mission is accomplished and the entrance is free, the ants invite all the other helpers to enjoy cucumber soup with them. Included in the book is a prize-winning recipe in Spanish for cucumber soup. A charming story sure to intrigue its readers.