Kirkus Review
An enjoyable revision of an endearing story.
Sara and her family are spending a day at the beach. As Mommy and Daddy unpack and get baby Hallie settled, Sara announces it’s time to make her Famous Seaweed Soup. The story is a riff on the Little Red Hen fable: “Sara asked, ‘Who will help me stir in the sand for my Famous Seaweed Soup?’ ‘Not I,’ replied Daddy. ‘I’m teaching Hallie how to swim.’ ‘Not I,’ replied Mommy. ‘I‘m reading my book.’ ” Sara collects seawater, two kinds of seaweed, sand, shells, feathers, and even snails (promising to return them). When the soup is completed, the fable’s moral is delightfully subverted—everyone who didn’t help must pretend to eat it. Weber’s full-color illustrations are new, but the text is mostly the same as the 1990s version (notably, the term “radio station” has been changed to playlist). Previously, Sara and her family all appeared White in the original illustrations; in this new version, Sara’s dad is White, her mom is Black with natural hair, and the kids have brown skin and brown curly hair. The images offer a nice update to the tale, beautifully rendered in a realistic watercolor style that perfectly captures a day at the beach in a story that’s as sweet as ever.An enjoyable revision of an endearing story.
https://tinyurl.com/z5dv9pta April 17, 2023
…Famous Seaweed Soup is a delightful read, and Antoinette Truglio Martin has
seamlessly woven in a message that if you want something badly enough and
persevere, it might be possible to get what you want.
*Famous Seaweed Soup is a fun way to teach children about the balance between independence and shared experience. -Dr.J.Harrison CBR
*Inspired by the author’s own child, Famous Seaweed Soup is a colorful and cheerful book highlighting the fun of free play in nature.-Icefairy’s Treasure Chest
*In a story about independence, perseverance and self-reliance, Sara tackles her own project with determination and gusto. -Stephanie Ward, Notes from a Writer with Wanderlust
*…the young girl is determined to make her soup. She follows very certain steps and promises the snails she will return them when playtime is done. This book is a wonderful way to introduce the layers of the ocean and the tide.-Crafty Mom’s Share
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