Dragon Soup [Hardcover]

Arlene Williams (Author), Sally J. Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Dragon Soup introduces children to the essential skills of conflict resolution and cooperation through the story of a brave girl named Tonlu and her encounter with the cloud dragons. Tonlu's father, a poor mountain farmer, owes the village merchant a great deal of money. The merchant comes to collect his debt and gives the family two weeks to pay or he will claim Tonlu as his bride. Tonlu cannot bear the thought of leaving here home and marrying the cruel merchant. She resolves to pay the debt by climbing the treacherous dragon steps to the home of the cloud dragons--where she intends to steal some of their vast treasure.

Through the night she climbs the misty path until she encounters the cave of the dragons. While they sleep, Tonlu tries to steal a single pearl from a necklace, only to break the strand and wake the vengeful dragons. They imprison Tonlu and face her with a dangerous choice. She knows that unless everyone wins, no one will be happy.

How Tonlu solves her dilemma shows that in any situation where conflict arises, there is a solution that can meet each person's needs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Williams's (Tales from the Dragon's Cave) feisty original tale, set in an unnamed Asian village, is sadly undermined by the garishness of Smith's (Grandfather Four Winds and Rising Moon) illustrations. Tonlu, the spirited heroine, vows to steal treasure from the cave of the cloud dragons in order to save her family from economic ruin and herself from a forced marriage. She is caught red-handed, and here events take a surprising turn. The two dragon brothers ask Tonlu to judge their soup recipes; one dragon will add her to the soup ingredients if she chooses his brother's broth; the other promises to give her treasure if she proclaims him the victor. Clever Tonlu comes up with an answer that earns her freedom as well as riches. Williams's efforts are cheapened by the artwork's lack of subtlety. A radioactive palette vies with overwrought composition in a distracting display likely to keep readers at bay. Ages 4-10.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?The problem with "message" books is that they too often substitute sermons for stories. Dragon Soup is a perfect example; the message, and not the storytelling, is the focus here. Children are likely to revel in Smith's brilliantly colored and imaginative paintings that are further enhanced by superior book design, but they may be a great deal more reluctant to sit still for Williams's lecture on conflict resolution. The fantasy is set in an unnamed land of jungles and mountains that appears to be the Far East. The human characters are clearly Asian. When economic disaster threatens a young family, the daughter, Tonlu, climbs rice terraces to the top of the mountain where Cloud Dragons guard their fabulous pearls. If the child can secure just one of them, she can pay her father's debts. Instead, she is captured by two brother dragons who have a long-standing quarrel about which one makes the best soup. Tonlu's fate is to determine a winner. Of course, the story is resolved when the girl finds a "win-win-win" solution that allows all of them to be happy. Conflict resolution in real places, and especially in a violent society, is admirable, but when dragons are in the tale, most kids are going to want a more robust and exciting story that is considerably less transparent in its aims.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HJ Kramer (January 19, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915811634
• ISBN-13: 978-0915811632
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,552 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Girl saves family by outwitting dragons who love to cook., September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dragon Soup (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful story of a brave girl conquering all obstacles by creating new solutions. She uses both her strength and wits. The illustrationsare lush and rich depicting a tropical pacific rim island. My 7 year old son loves this book and loves dragons. The illustrations are lush like in VERDI. I rate this book in the top 10 books we read last year.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Smart & Courageous Girl Outsmarts Two Dragons, May 4, 2005

By 

Zachary Hackett (Reno, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dragon Soup (Hardcover)

Two dragons live on top of mountain that overlooks the village where Tonlu lives with her father who is deep in debt to the village merchant. If dad doesn't come up with the cash he is not only going to lose the farm, but Tonlu is going to have to marry said merchant. Not good for Tonlu, so determined to save both dad's farm and herself, she goes up the mountain to steal a pearl from the aforementioned dragons. Unfortunately she gets caught and the dragons cage her.

The dragons are making soup and Tonlu believes she is about to be the main ingredient. Is she? Can she get out of this fix? This is a book any child will love. My son, though too young to fully grasp the story, just loves it when I make up words I think he understands to go alone with the superb illustrations done by Sally Smith, illustrator extraordinaire. Dragon books, and this is a good one, are a good way to get your toddler interested in reading. My son adores this book, so does his mother, so do I.

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful, April 27, 2009

By 

nplette - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dragon Soup (Hardcover)

This is a gorgeously illustrated book with a clever and thoughtful message. I highly recommend it. Wonderful!