When three hungry soldiers come to a town where all the food has been hidden, they set out to make soup of water and stones, and all the town enjoys a feast.



A Caldecott Honor Book with remastered artwork for its 75th anniversary! Clever soldiers outwit greedy townspeople with the creation of a special soup in this cherished classic.

Three soldiers come marching down the road towards a French village. The peasants, seeing them coming, suddenly become very busy, for soldiers are often hungry. All their food is hidden under mattresses or in barns. Then follows a battle of wits, with the soldiers equal to the occasion. Why, of course—even with no food, they can still make a wonderful soup! All they will need is three round stones. But to make a truly perfect stone soup, they will of course also need a carrot or two…a cabbage…and so it goes.

First published in 1947, Marcia Brown’s retelling of a French folktale is a picture book classic. Her lively art creates a festival of activity, of dancing and laughter, that young readers will want to experience again and again.