In its subtitle, Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice proclaims itself to be “a book of months”. Indeed, the first task of Chicken Soup with Rice is to take readers on a gleeful ramble through the year, but this book offers far more than the typical May=flowers, November=Thanksgiving equations. Along the rhyme-paved road from January to December, readers are invited to inhabit such characters as a world traveler, an avian chef, and a whale (all of whom, of course, have an affinity for a particular variety of soup). Maurice Sendak imbues his illustrations with both warmth and mischief, perfectly complementing the catchy verse. With its manifold narrative surprises and rollicking rhyme scheme, Chicken Soup with Rice is a joy to read aloud.

Recommended for readers of all ages.