BOOK REVIEWS Picture Books Stone Soup retold and illustrated by Jon J. Muth. Scholastic, Inc., 2003. 32 pp. $13.92. Ages 4 and up. Reviewed by Callie Feyen How do you get a town of reluctant, somewhat reclusive folks to get to know each other? Make soup. You’re going to need a large pot, one that can sit and stew and gurgle with delicious smells in the center of town. And you can’t have a recipe—just the pot—and a willingness to let the townspeople come out and offer what they have: a bigger pot, some mushrooms, pea pods, and noodles. Maybe some ginger root and garlic. And wouldn’t hot tea and steamed buns go nicely alongside this soup? Some of the people might have tables to bring outside so folks can sit together and eat. Others might suggest stringing bright orange lanterns to light up as the day turns to dusk. And still others will say you can’t have such a feast without entertainment. So they’ll bring their instruments, stories, and songs. Of course, it might not happen exactly like this, but it could happen. Just read Stone Soup. Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman by Esme Raji Codell. Illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow Books, 2012. 32 pp. $16.99. Ages 4–8. Reviewed by Susan Schmitt The legend of Johnny Appleseed is for everyone! Although his passion for planting trees is well known, what we know about his work is a mixture of fact and folklore. This book pulls the threads together, and the result is a portrait of someone whose “random acts of kindness” have inspired for 200 years. Although very poor, John Chapman figured out a way to help beautify the world, provide sustenance for humans and animals, and impress on others the virtue of unselfishness after spirits and angels told him to plant apple trees and share his love with others. His motto was “use what you have, share what you have, respect nature, try to make peace where there is war, and you can reach your destination by taking small steps.” Dressed in potato sacks or used clothing, he walked (often barefoot with a tin cooking pot on his head) across the United States, planting apple seeds and sharing the peace with everyone he met. If a person couldn’t afford to buy seeds, he didn’t charge. An avid reader, he often carried books with him on his travels; these were shared with those he met along the way. This is an inspirational book for the whole family. Tim Ladwig. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2009. 36 pp. $17. Ages 8–12. Reviewed by Callie Feyen The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Children might be familiar with the Beatitudes, but Carole Boston Weatherford parallels Jesus’ words with the story of African Americans’ plight from slavery to Civil Rights in this unique telling of what it means to be blessed. Tim Ladwig’s gorgeous illustrations grace each page, while Weatherford writes in the voice of God, showing people that in sometimes happy, sometimes horrifying situations, God is always there: a light shining in the dark boat, a soldier beating a drum for freedom, a protestor on the Freedom Rides. Throughout the story Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:3–12 run along the bottom of the pages. The words are continuous, not stopping for punctuation or even for a letter (many of them are cut in half), symbolizing God’s presence with all of us. But to read The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights is to understand that while God is present, he is so because he chooses to work through us. A Publication of Christian Schools International | Spring 2014 33