5 Stories for National Soup Month

Written by Sara Dennis of Classically Homeschooling.

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? I didn’t either, but it makes perfect sense. The weather is blustery and cold. It’s perfect for curling up with hot soup and a good book.

Here are some wonderful stories to share with your preschoolers about soups.

5 Stories for National Soup Month

Stone Soup – Stone Soup is a delightful old tale about three hungry French soldiers who arrive in a village hoping for dinner. However the villagers hid their food all over their houses and told the soldiers about the terrible harvest they’d had. There is no food.

What were the soldiers to do? Why make stone soup of course! They start a fire, fill a huge pot with water, and toss in a stone. The villagers watch intently to find out exactly how one can make soup from a stone.

Fandago Stew – Fandango Stew is a cowboy variation of Stone Soup. A boy and his grandfather ride into the town of Skinflint to treat the townsfolk to a pot of fandago bean stew.

It all begins with a single small bean the grandfather pulls from his pocket. The townsfolk watch and listen and the grandfather and boy begin to cook fandago bean stew.

Mouse Soup – Now if we’re talking about soups, there’s no skipping the classic Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. It’s an amazing story about a mouse caught by a weasel to make mouse soup.

Mouse soup, as our mouse informs the weasel, simply doesn’t taste good without stories. The weasel listens intently before following the mouse’s instructions for mouse soup.

The Wolf’s Chicken Stew – The Wolf’s Chicken Stew begins with a hungry wolf eyeing a passing chicken. Instead of grabbing her immediately, he decides to fatten her up so he can have even more stew.

Over the next few days he leaves scrumptious donations on her doorstep. Does our wolf ever get to eat his chicken soup?

Growing Vegetable Soup – Growing Vegetable Soup is a lovely book to walk your child through the entire process of soup making. It begins with planting the seeds and watching them grow.

Eventually the vegetables are ready and it’s time to make vegetable soup. The best part of all is eating the delicious meal.

After you and your preschooler have enjoyed reading books about soups together, try making a soup together for dinner.

While I don’t recommend tossing rocks into the pot and mouse soup doesn’t not sound appetizing, Growing Vegetable Soup has a recipe right on the back cover. You can chop the vegetables while your child drops them into the pot.

Count the number of onions, carrots, and potatoes you toss into the pot. Enjoy the time reading and cooking together.

Have you celebrated National Soup Month with your preschooler yet?