Three soldiers came marching down the road towards a French village. The peasants seeing them coming, suddenly became very busy, for soldiers are often hungry. So all the food was hidden under mattresses or in barns. There followed a battle of wits, with the soldiers equal to the occasion. Stone soup? Why, of course, they could make a wonderful soup of stones...but, of course, one must add a carrot or tow...some meat...so it went.Marcia Brown has made of this old tale a very gay book, a carnival of activity, of dancing and laughter. So much goes on in the pictures that children who have once heard the story will turn to them again and again, retelling the story for themselves.A French version of the story is available under the title "Une Drole de Soupe."

琼•穆特（Jon J Moth）以优美恬静的画风在美术及插画创作领域享有盛名。他的《尼克莱的三个问题》（The Three Questions）改编自列夫•托尔斯泰的短篇小说，获《纽约时报书评》二星级评价，评论中称它“在默默地改变生命”。他为凯伦•海瑟（Karen Hesse）的《雨，快下吧！》（Come on, Rain!）插图，作品同样获得二星级评价，并获得插画师协会的金奖。他为艾瑞克•金米尔（Eric Kimmel）的《盖森的怪兽》（Gershon’s Monster）插图，作品获得三星级评价，列入当年美国图书馆协会推荐的优秀童书，并获得美国犹太图书馆协会奖（即“雪莉•泰勒奖” ）。琼•穆特还创作过多部获奖的漫画书，在日本和美国出版。《石头汤》中讲到，三个和尚来到一个饱经苦难的村庄，村民们长年在艰难岁月中煎熬，心肠变得坚硬，不愿接纳任何人。可是，和尚们用煮石头汤的方法，让村民们不自觉地付出了很多，更明白了付出越多回报越多的道理。琼•穆特运用华丽的水彩画，引领读者去深思故事背后的蕴涵。他把自己对禅宗和东方文化的热爱，融入到这个古老的巧计故事当中，以此弘扬慷慨好施的力量。