Soup for Supper

The notion of a friendly giant, at first completely intimidated by a ""wee small woman'' and then living in harmony as her neighbor, is an inviting one. The giant pulls up every vegetable in her garden, so the woman chases after him, calling him names like ``potato nose'' and ``carrot toes.'' In a rage, the giant finally throws back every vegetable he picked. The two talk, and the woman realizes that the giant is simply hungry for a good pot of soup. She cooks up a batch, and it's safe to assume that they live happily every after. The text, by itself, doesn't sustain an interest in this book; it's Truesdell's amiable illustrations, with her bug-eyed people and jewel-like vegetable patch, that provide the real seasoning to this tale. (5-8)