Sody Salleratus

Sody Salleratus has the feel of an old-fashioned tale from the mountains, with the impatient old woman sending out one family member after another to get the "sody salleratus" (baking soda) she needs to make a big batch of biscuits for all of them--including the hungry, chittery family squirrel. And, after the rest of the family has several rather disastrous encounters with a big bad bear, guess who finally saves the day, and gets most of the biscuits for itself! I loved the rich, lilting language that, along with the lovely illustrations, brings the characters to life. Try this book, and don't forget to try the old woman's sody salleratus biscuits--the recipe's included. They're wonderful.