Bone Soup by Cambria Evans

From the Publisher

Known across the land for his infamous appetite, Finnigin is never seen without his eating stool, his eating spoon, and his gigantic eating mouth.
When Finnigin finds himself in a new town on Halloween, he hopes to join a great feast with the creatures who live there. But not a body or soul will share any of their food with the ever-famished Finnigin. So what’s a hungry skeleton to do? Armed only with his wits and a special ingredient, will Finnigin be able to stir up a cauldron’s worth of Halloween magic?

The Washington Post - Kristi Jemtegaard

Familiarity with Stone Soup, the traditional tale of three hungry soldiers who trick an entire village into making soup for them from a pebble, isn't absolutely necessary to enjoy this deliciously shivery send-up…but it adds to the fun…Kids will eat Bone Soup up.

Children's Literature

Finnigin, known for his prodigious appetite, travels the land with his eating stool, eating spoon, and gigantic eating mouth. One Halloween he arrives at a barren place, where a witch has already warned the beast, zombies, etc., who live there of his arrival. "We have barely enough for ourselves," they say, as they hide their spider eggs, dried mouse droppings, and other repulsive provisions and turn Finnigin from their doors. In this ghostly reflection of the traditional tale of Stone Soup, however, Finnigin sets a cauldron to boil in the town square, singing his song of the Bone Soup he makes with his magic bone. The skeptical folks are soon persuaded to add their ingredients. The result, of course, is a "fabulous soup" to share for the Halloween feast. On the jacket we see Finnigin's round face, triangular hole for a nose, curved grin with Chiclets teeth, round eyes popping in anticipation of the eyeball-filled spoon he raises to his mouth. The cover is more sedate, with framed title hung on a striped wall, as our hero peeks over a peeling corner. The illustrator uses pen, watercolor, and collage with digital color to create sketchy, non-frightening, almost appealing odd characters and speech balloons, along with rich details of their homes and activities. The soup itself with labeled ingredients floating on it green surface is almost appetizing. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3

Even the zombies are lovable in Evans's charming Halloween-themed rendition of "Stone Soup." The skeletal Finnigin, a macabre but friendly feasting traveler, is known far and wide for his ravenous appetite. When he comes upon a beautiful barren land, he is sure that a wonderful Halloween feast awaits him. But a flying witch catches sight of him and warns the beast, the zombies, and the mummy of his approach. They all quickly pack away their prized stewed eyeballs and bat wings and turn Finnigin away when he comes calling. Undeterred, he cleverly begins to brew a soup with his magic bone, and, one by one, each creature emerges to investigate. Seasoned with sprightly, luminescent watercolors and the perfect dose of gross-out factor, this tale has all the right ingredients for a hearty storytime. Early elementary audiences will especially appreciate the spread that points out all the gloriously awful additions to the yellow-green soup-spider eggs, dried mouse droppings, toenail clippings, dandelions, and other assorted items fit for creatures of the night. Bone Soup is a welcome addition to the holiday repertoire, as well as a pleasurable read for students completing comparative folktale assignments.-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

Kirkus Reviews

Finnigin the monster is something of an itinerant Eater, carrying his eating stool, spoon and, of course, "gigantic eating mouth" with him wherever he goes. When he happens upon a village populated by witches, ghouls and mummies, he finds his reputation precedes him, and the bogeys have stashed their yummies away. Finnigin's a canny Eater, though, and he makes a show of whipping up a batch of bone soup, with results anyone familiar with the traditional tale of "Stone Soup" will recognize. Evans's smiling, round-headed ghasts will terrify no one; the black-and-bile palette provides all the Halloween atmosphere young readers could desire. (Picture book. 4-8)

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