The Biggest Soap FROM THE PUBLISHER
It's laundry day on a South Pacific island, and Kessy is proud that Mama has chosen him to go to Minda's Store to buy the biggest soap. But he'll have to hurry if he wants to get back in time for the storytelling that accompanies the washing, so off he goes -- as fast as a typhoon wind! Along the way there are plenty of surprises, but Kessy returns with just enough soap to finish the wash and in time to tell stories galore from his big adventure.
Exploding with bright colors and patterns, this playful picture book celebrates the warmth of a close-knit island community and the independent spirit of its youngest member.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Leila Toledo
The setting of this story, an island in South Pacific, gives the reader an opportunity to experience a different culture. Readers will learn of the washing pool and the story telling what takes place there. Kessy must get the soap his mother needs to do the washing but he has to hurry and not be distracted as he rushes to get the biggest piece of soap in the store. On the way home he ends up helping several people by using the soap. But all is well; he makes it back with enough soap and ends up being the storyteller. He exaggerates a bit but that's what storytelling is all about. The story and illustrations will captivate young readers. 2004, Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus and Giroux, Ages 6 to 10.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 3-On laundry day, Kessy loves to play in the washing pool while listening to the women tell stories. When Mama discovers that she needs soap, she instructs him to go to the store and bring back the biggest piece he can find. The boy is proud that he has been chosen for this job, but knows he must hurry if he wants to hear the stories. Along the way, he encounters family members and friends who invite him to join in their activities. Determined to get back quickly, he presses on. When he finally reaches his destination, the shopkeeper wraps the large chunk in a cloth and ties it on a stick for him. On his return trip, Kessy soon discovers that Mama is not the only one in need of soap. He becomes a small hero as he unwraps the cloth and shares its contents along the way. Back at the pool, he explains why the bar is so small, relating his own experiences with a bit of embellishment, and becomes a storyteller himself. With a combination of colored pencil, oil pastel, and acrylic, Dressen-McQueen playfully captures the people, sights, and sounds of a small South Pacific island community with brilliant colors that leap off the pages. Loaded with similes and some onomatopoeia, the text emphasizes the importance of the oral tradition. This is a solid purchase, perfect for reading aloud.-Tracy Bell, Durham Public Schools, NC Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Kessy loves laundry day, because he can sit and listen to the adults spin wonderful tales as a way to counteract the drudgery of their laborious task. Before the work and stories begin, Mama sends Kessy to Minda's store to purchase "the biggest piece of soap" on the shelf. People try to lure Kessy from his mission, but he stays focused, arrives at the store without incident, and purchases the soap. His good heart and desire to help others soon whittles the soap down to a small sliver, but Mama is not upset, because Kessy weaves a wonderful tale to explain-and begins his career as a laundry-day storyteller. Dressen-McQueen's illustrations are colorful and lush, full of Gauguin-inspired tropical patterns in pink, red, orange, and green, but the depiction of the characters lacks individuality and distinction. Still, the enchanting tale, set in the South Pacific, will encourage children's creativity and imagination and far outweighs this problem. (Picture book. 4-8)
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