The Whole World Inside Nan's Soup by Hunter Liguore. Illustrated by Vikki Zhang

When a young Asian American girl asks her grandmother what she’s stirring inside a big metal pot on the stove, she’s surprised at Nanni’s answer, “Seeds.” The girl is curious and asks, “How can seeds be inside the pot?”  

In response, Nanni begins a sing-song, progressive narrative about all that is involved in bringing together the ingredients in a pan of soup: gardeners growing vegetables; soil, rain, sun, moon, and stars each playing their role; honey bees pollinating flowers; farm workers harvesting crops; delivery drivers transporting vegetables from farms to markets; buses taking people to markets; and more.   

When the girl expresses amazement at all she’s heard, she asks Nanni if there’s anything else in the pot. The old woman breaks into a huge smile, and answers, “Love. … The love of my own Nan, who taught the recipe to my mother, who then taught it to me. One special recipe passed down from generation to generation, beginning with the first Nanni! Just so I could make the soup and share it with you.”  

In this celebration of a grandmother and granddaughter’s love for each other—a reflection of love passed down through generations—young readers learn about the interconnectedness of the world we live in. Christian parents and caregivers who share this delightful picture book with children will have the opportunity to point to our amazing Creator God who fashioned the earth and all that is in it and who continues to hold his creation. Replete with winsome, detailed illustrations, The Whole World in Nan’s Soup is a book to be savored again and again. 

(Yeehoo Press)