Pumpkin Soup

'Deep in the woods there's an old white cabin with pumpkins in the garden' -- therein Cat, Squirrel and Duck live a well-ordered life, each with his own tasks and personalised equipment. Every night, pumpkin soup is made, in exactly the same way, until Duck challenges the status quo: 'Today it's my turn to stir the soup...' This picture book's large square format gives plenty of space for Cooper's richly-painted illustrations, ranging from the larger-than-life burgeoning of the pumpkin patch to the tiny, detailed sequence as the Duck carefully 'scoops up a pipkin of salt, and tips in just enough.' Emotion and atmosphere are evoked well and the illustrations are used cleverly to extend the story. Subtle use is mad of symbolic devices (e.g. to show imagined events): while easy for an adult to decode quickly, this may be more difficult for a child. The book thus demands careful reading and looking -- indeed the pace of the text encourages an unhurried approach. Highly recommended -- an unusually rich experience.