Just Right Stew

A Book Review

Editor's Note: Several voices combine here to review Karen English's Just Right Stew. The posting is divided into the following sections:

• Bibliographic Information
• Information about the Reviewers
• Reviews by the section editor, a teacher, and children from first to third grade

Bibliographic Information

Just Right Stew. Written by Karen English; illustrated by Anna Rich. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. ISBN1-56397-487-8. Unpaged. Recommended for ages6 and up.

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Information about the Reviewers

Just Right Stew was reviewed by the editor of this section of ROL, Linda Labbo, and by Susanmarie L. Harden and her grades 1 to 3 students at Thomson Elementary School in Thomson, Georgia, USA. Harden, a reading resource teacher, is currently working on a graduate degree at the University of Georgia in the Department of Reading Education.

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Reviews

Section Editor's Voice

If young children have never heard the phrase "being in a stew," they are likely to understand it after reading Karen English's most recent book, Just Right Stew. The entire family in the story is "in a stew" as they frantically attempt to prepare a birthday dinner by cooking grandmother's (referred to fondly as Big Mama) favorite dish, oxtail stew.

The main problem encountered by various cooks in the family is that no one has ever found out Big Mama's secret ingredient. As the story develops, readers may begin to wonder if the old saying that too many cooks spoil the dish is true. Anna Rich's softly rendered oil paintings beautifully depict the story as it unfolds from the point of view of Victoria, a young African American child and Big Mama's only granddaughter. Victoria is drawn into the family's efforts to identify and add the missing ingredient. After an initial taste test, Mama and Aunt Rose send the youngster to borrow a little sprig of dill from Cousin Shug's herb garden. Cousin Shug happily agrees to the request but cautions that dill is surely not the missing ingredient. Additional tastings and trips to gather ingredients continue to involve Victoria, but when she thinks she remembers something Big Mama always puts into her stew pot, the adults in the kitchen are too busy to pay her any heed.

When Aunt Violet tries adding cumin, a humorous family squabble erupts. Later, Victoria watches Aunt Clary slip secretly into the kitchen to add a little garlic powder to the stew. Great Aunt Mae follows with just a dash of red pepper. At last, Big Mama arrives and, with Victoria, adds the missing -- and sweetest -- ingredient. After supper, when Big Mama has declared the stew to be the best she'd ever eaten and each of the cooks brags that she was responsible, Big Mama and Victoria just look at each other and share a good, hearty laugh.

This book is sure to appeal to readers who enjoy taking a light-hearted look at the ins and outs of family life. Adults who share the book with children may want to invite them to discuss some of the family situations encountered by the main character. Why do youngsters think that the adults wouldn't listen to Victoria when she remembered the secret ingredient? Why did Victoria and Big Mama share a good laugh at the end of the story? What would they do in Victoria's place?

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Teacher's Voice

This story is told by a young African American girl. She watches, at first from beneath the kitchen table, as her mother and aunt prepare oxtail stew for Big Mama's birthday. Oxtail stew is Big Mama's favorite and nobody can make it like she can. Victoria knows the secret ingredient, but watches as each of her aunts adds something different to the stew. When Big Mama arrives, she asks Victoria if the secret ingredient has been added. Victoria, who hasn't been allowed to share her knowledge, finally gets to add the last ingredient. Everybody enjoys the stew, and as they discuss what makes it so good, Victoria and Big Mama are the only ones who know the secret.

This is one of those books that I would like to have handy on my bookshelf to refer to again and again. The story evoked many childhood memories for me and made me want to learn about and share one of my grandmother's secrets. The illustrations -- which are colorful, bright, and seem to come to life as you read aloud -- are simply delightful. I highly recommend this book to teachers and parents.

Following are six extension activities that may enrich children's enjoyment of the story and provide opportunities to extend time spent with the book.

• Sequencing. Invite children to draw a series of pictures that illustrate the cooks and their ingredients in the order they are added in the book. Students may begin by listing all the ingredients. Posting the illustrations in order may also invite children to retell the story using the pictures as a prompt.
• Problem solving. Discuss how the little girl and the grandmother solved the problem in the story. What lessons can we learn about how to handle arguments or difficult situations?
• Writing. Invite students to write a story about making their own version of a favorite family recipe.
• Sharing. Ask children to bring in a copy of a favorite family recipe to place in a class cookbook.
• Reading more. Locate and display other books about cooking, food, and families.
• Cooking. Prepare one of your favorite recipes for students to enjoy.

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First Graders' Voices

• "It was a good story. It was fun. I like it when Victoria was in the grown folks' business and they put in different stuff like cinnamon, salt, and yellow stuff [cumin], and the red stuff [red pepper]." (Paul)
• "I like the part when she was under the table." (Kensley)
• "Why does she have all that gray hair. Is her old?" (Curtis)
• "I liked it because it was a sweet story. The folks was coming and the stew wasn't right." (Kayla)
• "They's laughing because it is sweet. They put the sugar in. I like the story because it was short and it had a lot of people in it and I like stories about people." (Leroy)

Second Graders' Voices

• "I like the part when Grandmother can and put something in it. Grandma added sugar. They laughed because they know they put something else in it [the stew], and it's their little secret." (Caldesia)
• "I liked the story because everyone had put something in there and she went three times to get stuff. Mama gets mad and Grandmother tells her what is in it. They laughed because they know what needed to be added and know what it tastes like." (Geneshia)
• "I like it because the girl has a pretty picture. I'm a girl like her. The girl kept the secret." (Treneal)
• "I like it because that girl's Grandma only let her see one ingredient that get put into the stew. She only let the little girl see and put sugar in it." (Stephanie)
• "They looked at each other because they know what they put in it." (Tevaris)

Third Graders' Voices

• "I think they laughed at the end because the aunties and mama were 'going at it.'" (Keshia)
• "I liked it. My auntie told me to keep a secret. Victoria wouldn't tell about the stew." (Tristan)
• "Grandma thought the soup was good and they kept the secret from everyone. I liked the book because they were all fussing. I liked all of it." (Breanna)
  

  What will your students think about the book?

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  Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
  Posted April 1999
  © 1999-2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232