"Chicken Soup By Heart"
By Esther Hershenhorn and Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger
This book is about a boy names Rudie Dinkins and on this particular day Rudie’s babysitter Mrs. Gittel is not feeling well. In order to help make her feel better Rudie decides that he is going to make Mrs. Gittel some chicken soup, just the way she makes it when Rudie is sick. First he starts with water and chicken then proceeds to add “Rudie Dinkins Surprise” to the soup. The “Rudie Dinkins Surprise” is items to the soup that like chocolate kisses, jelly beans, and peppermints, which are all associated with a memory of Mrs. Gittel. Rudie gives Mrs. Gittel the soup and the next day she is feeling much better but Rudie is feeling sick. Teh book concludes with Mrs. Gittel making some soup for Rudie.
My first thought is that this story is really heartwarming and sweet. The first time I read it, however, I did not like it. I was initially thrown off by the word the Mrs. Gittel used for Rudie, boychik, as well as the “Rudie Dinkins Surprise.” When I read the book for the second it made more sense, I realized that the illustrations indicated what the “Rudie Dinkins Surprise” was. The word boychik was used throughout the book and I assumed that it is some sort of pet name the Mrs. Gittel had for Rudie. Once I understood these terms and I was able to enjoy the book more.
I think that children would love to have this book read to them and it’s a fun book to read aloud. The illustrations are pretty simple but colorful. “Chicken Soup By Heart” is book with a sweet message and could be a good read for a classroom or even at home. At the end of the book there is even a recipe for Mrs. Gittel’s chicken soup.