Children will enjoy this richly illustrated story about a man, a bowl of soup and the man's operatic and comically frustrating quest to eat it. Additonal characters in the cast include a chef, a police officer and the President of the United States. This book and CD combination creates clever word play and movement opportunties to keep children jumping and dancing as they are rhyming along.

A Notable book by the American Library Association, A Soup Opera is a storybook and CD combo providing a thoroughly theatrical and entertaining reading experience for your child. The first page is set up just like sheet music, complete with directions to the conductor (you) to "Please sing this book with passion" and lyrics underlying the melody on a treble clef staff. When the words are sung in the book, they are in a larger cursive font with ribbon flourishes and a faded staff behind them. The pictures are realistic looking, created with oil on canvas and some mixed media. The characters are widely diversified, including a large hungry patron, a surprised male waiter, a female chef, an African American mayor, and a female President of the United States. The characters' mouths appear open and singing as a constant reminder to readers that this is an opera.

Although the book can certainly be read alone, we highly encourage utilizing the accompanying orchestrated CD, as it adds musical flourishes to each page, and will spare you from having to attempt the opera singing yourself...not that you wouldn't sound amazing. Your little one may want to take a crack at singing the lines too, or even coming up with their own tune for the story. Encouraging your child to hold the book and turn the pages appropriately with the music requires them to pay attention, allows them to be involved, and encourages them to make connections between words, pictures, and sounds. You can also further the educational experience by naming any instruments you recognize.

I read this book with my three-year-old friend, Sam. He loved the accompanying music, and copied the singer each time he bellowed, "I can't eat this soup!" Sam would jump up from the couch, put one hand on his chest, have the other arm extended, and furrow his brow as he did his best opera impersonation. I smiled and clapped each time. He must have agreed with me that he did a great job, because when the audience on the CD clapped and shouted "Bravo!" at the end, Sam got up again and took a deep bow.

--Audra

Jim Gill is a musician, author, and trained child development specialist with a Master's degree from the Erikson Institute of Chicago. Gill's focus is on promoting active play between adults and children. He developed his unique approach of combining word play and movement opportunities into songs through the twenty years spent directing weekly programs in music play for families with children with special needs in the Chicago area. He now presents "concerts of music and play" to children and families throughout the country at theaters, libraries and schools. Jim also speaks to early childhood educators and children's librarians about the many benefits of play in young children's lives.

Jim has produced five recordings of music play activities that have received awards from both the American Library Association and the Parents' Choice Foundation. He has also created a program of "Symphonic Music Play," new works for children accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. Jim's work with symphony orchestras inspired his latest picture book for children, A Soup Opera. Jim is also the author of May There Always Be Sunshine, a picture book that received the 2002 Book Award from the Philadelphia Children's Museum.

This book was really cute. A great night time, before bed, story time-snuggle up, this book has beautiful artistry from the illustrations to the music. Music, yes, included is a CD to read along with. With characters like the police officer, chef, and president all concerned over a boul of soup this book turns silly very quickly. Written and published by Jim Gill a musician and trained child development specialist. He developed his unique approach of combining word play and movement opportunities into songs through the twenty years spent directing weekly programs in music play for families with children with special needs in the Chicago area. Jim also authored May There Always be Sunshine which won the 2002 Book Award from the Philadelphia Children's Museum.

As a former musician (I played the violin from 6th grade thru highschool) I learned how music can really set the tone for bigger and grander moments. Movies would be nothing without soundtracks, what would you do in the car without a radio, how would you clean your house if you couldn't jam to your favorite songs? Music keeps life in step and up to tempo. My kids learn so much better when we make up silly songs, we have a pee-pee in the potty song, vowels, addition, the list goes on. This book is great for those just learning to read also. With bigger fonts for "singing" time and reagular font for the story telling the illustrations come to life.

--Christy, Chouteau, OK