Watch Out For The Chicken Feet In Your Soup

Watch Out For The Chicken Feet In Your Soup
story and pictures by Tomie dePaola

I love finding new-to-me titles by beloved authors.  I almost didn't see this little book, just a mite of a book really, crammed betwixt two larger than necessary picture books.  But I'm so glad it caught my eye.  I threw it in my basket without bothering to flip through.  Tomie dePaola can do no wrong. 

Don't you just love the title?  I was laughing before even reading the first page.  And from there, it just gets better and better.  Here's the very first page.  The one that precedes even the title page.

Turn the page.

Meet Joey's grandma,

an eccentric Italian woman who begs to be read loudly.  With much italiano gusto.  You know those books that you slip into your purse to bring with you to the pedi's office or to read to your kids while standing in the check out line at the grocery store?  Well, this book isn't one of them.  Not unless you've got a thick skin and don't mind the what a nutso looks.  Try reading this one in a nice little suburbanite momma sort of voice.  Go ahead.  I dare you.  It can't be done.

So, Joey introduces Eugene to his grandma.  Who uses their coats to cover the bread dough "so it rise nice," and cooks for them a fifty-seven course meal (exaggeration mine, couldn't help myself) much to the embarrassment of Joey.  And perhaps my favorite part of the book, oft repeated throughout, Eugene's response to being called Eugeney.

And then, once the soup is served, the chicken foot makes its appearance.

Which tickled Pippi, Tommy, and I in all sorts of ways.  This is funny dePaola at his best. 

Arrivederci!