This is one of those cases, and I thought Muth's narrative, and his gorgeous watercolor illustrations, worked flawlessly together, producing a picture-book experience that was simply delightful! I'm not always thrilled with titles that seek to transplant the stories of one culture into another - as if all cultures were interchangeable, and context were meaningless - but sometimes, when it is done with respect, and I feel that there is some reason for it (some reason that doesn't involve discomfort at the idea of a story coming from a specific culture, or the mistaken belief that multiculturalism requires stories to be racially "remade"), I am very pleased indeed.
Following the wandering of three monks - Hok, Lok and Siew - who question what happiness is as they walk, the story sees a hostile village transformed, as the wise Siew sets out to teach its residents how to make stone soup.
Muth, whose popular Zen Shorts (and sequels) also explore Zen Buddhist beliefs. The classic European folktale - best known by its French variant, as seen in Marcia Brown's Stone Soup - is transplanted to China in this lovely picture-book from Jon J.
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