Sopa de Frijoles

Summary: The first illustration in the story depicts a young boy whose video game is over, which leaves him looking pensive. The poetic story begins with the boy thinking about a ‘yummy’ soup and what he would need to make the soup. He then creatively tells the reader the recipe for making bean soup in both Spanish and English. The story ends with a delicious, fresh bean soup that he shares with his family.

Bib Info: Argueta, J. (2009). Sopa de frijoles. Berkeley, CA: Groundwood books.

Interest Level: K-3

Impression: Poetry is a fun way to tell a recipe. This story captures culture in the poem itself and with the Spanish and English text. The illustrations that accompany the story are cute. The part where the boy mentions chopping onions might make students and adults giggle.

Reviews and Awards: Booklist 03/15/09, Multicultural Review 06/01/09, Horn Book 10/01/09, Resource Links 06/01/09, Kirkus Reviews 03/01/09, School Library Journal 04/01/09, Library Media Connection 10/01/09, Wilson's Children 10/01/10

Reviews: In Spanish and English, this is a poem about making bean soup. Stanzas are first presented in Spanish, then in English, with full-page illustrations. The young cook describes each ingredient with delicious detail and carefully explains each facet of preparing the recipe. He intersperses the cooking with thinking about his family eating the soup, and how tasty it will be. He also offers a ritual of burying the onion peel, garlic skins, and pebbles from the beans "so Mother Earth/keeps on growing flavors." Every aspect is mentioned, from thanking the ingredients for their flavors to heating the tortillas and setting the table with bowls, spoons, and flowers--creating anticipation that seems to fill your own surroundings with flavorsome aromas. Colors in the illustrations are rich yet dark, like a hearty dish of bean soup. Help yourself to a generous portion of this fulfilling, nurturing, and sustaining mixture.
Dales, B. (2009, October). [Review of the book Sopa de frijoles by J. Argueta]. Library Media Connection. Retrieved from: http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/

K-Gr 2-A bilingual free-verse poem that describes how to make bean soup. An asterisk indicates the parts that require adult participation. "Now it is/time to cut the onion.*/First you have to remove/the onion's coat/its soft delicate skin.. Try not to cry/because tears can make/food taste sour." A boy with two pinpoint eyes and a thin-lined mouth is seen going through the steps, with his mother hovering in the background. The earthy tones in the soft watercolor illustrations are pleasing to viewers. Text is on the left, with a full-page illustration on the right. Kids will enjoy hearing the story read aloud but may not get some of the poetic rhythm and imagery on their own.
Welzenback, S. (2009, April 1). [Review of the book Sopa de frijoles, by J. Argueta]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.slj.com/

Use in library setting: This could be linked to a multicultural lesson. Younger students could create pictures that depict a stanza or two.