Three friends, Duck, Squirrel and Cat, join together every evening to make pumpkin soup. Each has their own very important part to play in the process and the soup is always delicious. Then, one day, Duck decides he wants to stir the soup instead of adding the salt. This leads to a tremendous quarrel which ends with Duck leaving in a huff. At first Squirrel and Cat are unconcerned by his absence, but as time goes by they start to worry about what might have happened to their friend.

This is a witty, observant and highly original tale about the ups and downs of friendship by award-winning author-illustrator Helen Cooper. As in The Bear Under the Stairs and The Baby Who Wouldn't Go to Bed, Helen Cooper has created a magical picture book from a familiar childhood occurrence. --Philippa Reece

A lively story about friendship and sharing from winner of the Kate Greenaway Award, Helen Cooper.

Cat, Duck and Squirrel live in an old white cabin, with a pumpkin patch in the garden. Every day Cat slices up some pumpkin, Squirrel stirs in some water and Duck tips in some salt to make the perfect pumpkin soup...Until the day Duck wants to do the stirring...This is a funny, rhythmical story about friendship and sharing, with fabulous animal characters, illustrated in glowing autumnal colours with a brilliant CD featuring music and sound effects!

What's cooking in the old white cabin? Pumpkin soup, the best you ever tasted!

Cat, Squirrel and Duck are three friends who make pumpkin soup together every day. They always do it the same way, until little Duck thinks he's got a better idea...

'Both a musical comedy and a visual feast... The trio are outrageously attractive characters' THE TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT

'A highly inventive, witty slant on...friendship and sharing which children of ages three and up will adore' THE BOOKSELLER

Winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and shortlisted for the Kurt Maschler Award

From the author/illustrator of THE BABY WHO WOULDN'T GO TO BED, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 1997

2007-11-16 `Cat, Squirrel and Duck are three friends who make pumpkin soup together every day.....

they always do it the same way, until little Duck thinks he's got a better idea.....'

I was captivated by the book corner at a recent primary class I visited, in connection with helping young children cook as part of my course.
`Pumpkin Soup' was the source book and `the corner' was alive with the green and gold shades of Autumn, and pictures/poems about the three lovable characters, with some amazing attention to detail even down to the bag-pipes!
It proved an excellent platform for a project and the children couldn't hide their delight in acting out their little pieces - it sure brought a tear to the eye.
I particularly noticed the flow of lively replacements for the word, `said', which the children really emphasised with apparent ease - e.g. `squeaked', `snapped', `stormed', `scoffed', `muttered', `sniffed', `wept', `whispered' and `yelped', and these words followed through into the written work too.

The 32 high quality page book is a beautifully illustrated, well written tale with a distinct message - sharing and compromise - and don't we all know how difficult that can be at certain ages?

Simply delightful book and guaranteed to be a regular choice from the bookshelf!