Sopa de Cactus

The Spanish edition of our Mexican-flavored Stone Soup story, Cactus Soup. When a group of hungry soldiers ride into San Miguel, the townspeople don't want to share their food. They hide their tortillas, tamales, beans, and flour and put on torn clothes to look poor. But the Capitán is not fooled. He asks for a cactus thorn to make some cactus soup, and before long he has tricked the townspeople into giving him salt and chilies, vegetables, and a chicken as well! Whimsical watercolors by Phil Huling add to the humor in this southwestern twist on the classic Stone Soup tale.

Author Eric A. Kimmel is well-known for the tales he has retold from around the world. Some of his best-known titles are Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (a Caldecott Honor Book), Gershon's Monster, Anansi and the Talking Melon, and The Runaway Tortilla. A former professor of children's literature, he lives in Portland, Oregon.