This variation on the classic folk fairy tale of Stone Soup takes readers to a common suburban neighborhood, in which the Strassner family has fallen upon hard times, but the young children in the area are hard pressed to look beyond rumors to understand the real situation of the neighbor they pass each day. The kind patriarch of the neighborhood, Mr. Drum, is disheartened to hear the neighbor children share such disgust of the Strassners, especially eight-year-old Jonah, their ugly duckling classmate. Mr. Drum convinces the children to contribute to his soup concoction for the neighborhood block party. The children converge in this preparation, bringing into their folds Jonah Strassner, whom they come to find they have severely misjudged. This variation on the folk tale brings the message of inclusion and acceptance home to all readers, young and old.