A lively story about friendship and sharing from winner of the Kate Greenaway Award, Helen Cooper.
A lively story about friendship and sharing from winner of the Kate Greenaway Award, Helen Cooper.
Helen Cooper is an author and illustrator whose work includes
classic picture books such as The Bear Under the Stairs, Pumpkin
Soup, The Baby Who Wouldn't Go to Bed and Tatty Ratty. Her books
have been translated into 30 languages and won many awards
including the Library Association Kate Greenaway Medal - twice.
More recently she has collaborated as a writer with other
illustrators. Notably, Saving the Butterfly, illustrated by Gill
Smith, which was published in 2022. She has also written and
illustrated children's MG fiction and the latest - The Taming of
the Cat - published in October 2023.
Pumpkin Soup, with its rhythmic text, syncopated layout, and rich
and hot colour harmonies, is both a musical comedy and a visual
feast. The trio are outrageously attractive characters and such is
Cooper's command of technical effects, you can almost taste the
colours, touch the textures and lose yourself in the autumnal
landscape
*TES*
Enticing
*Sunday Telegraph*
A portable work of art, glowing the rich colours of autumn . . . A
highly inventive, witty slant on a familiar theme of friendship and
sharing which children of ages three and up will adore
*Bookseller*
Here is a story of friendship lost and regained, told with insight
and understanding, not only as far as the characters are concerned,
but as to how a picture book works . . . The book is brilliantly
constructed
*Child Education*
The stunning lustrous illustrations which accompany this story
reflect its warmth, vivacity and humour
*Books Etc.*
This enchanting story explores the ups and downs of close-knit camaraderie. Beginning with a peek through a window where Cat, Squirrel and Duck are making music together, Cooper (The Boy Who Wouldn't Go to Bed) invites youngsters into their cozy pumpkin-shaped home. There's a rhythm to their lives: each has his own instrument to play and his own duties when it comes to cooking their famous pumpkin soup ("the best you ever tasted"). But one day, Duck decides to be the stirrer instead of the salt pourer, and an all-out battle ensues. Here the warm golden glow that has permeated their dwelling turns an angry orange-red with paws, wings and "@#$!"s flying. After Duck waddles off in a huff, the remaining pair heads out to hunt for himÄto no avail. In a charming time-lapse sequence, vignettes of Cat and Squirrel moping on the steps of their house form an arc along the side of a spread ("So they waited.../ All that long afternoon..."). Mimicking grade-schoolers everywhere, Cat and Squirrel next decide to carry on with the cooking, adopting a we'll-show-him attitude. Of course the soup is too salty and the repentant pals begin to imagine scary scenarios of where Duck might be. But Duck does return, to a warm welcomeÄuntil he suggests a turn on Cat's bagpipes. Thanks to Cooper's uncanny ability to capture the dynamics of friendship, children will be able to laugh at this trio (and themselves) and recognize that true friendship can weather most any storm. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Pumpkin Soup, with its rhythmic text, syncopated layout, and
rich and hot colour harmonies, is both a musical comedy and a
visual feast. The trio are outrageously attractive characters and
such is Cooper's command of technical effects, you can almost taste
the colours, touch the textures and lose yourself in the autumnal
landscape -- Jan Doonan * TES *
Enticing * Sunday Telegraph *
A portable work of art, glowing the rich colours of autumn . . . A
highly inventive, witty slant on a familiar theme of friendship and
sharing which children of ages three and up will adore * Bookseller
*
Here is a story of friendship lost and regained, told with insight
and understanding, not only as far as the characters are concerned,
but as to how a picture book works . . . The book is brilliantly
constructed * Child Education *
The stunning lustrous illustrations which accompany this story
reflect its warmth, vivacity and humour * Books Etc. *
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