Nia, Dot, and Sam sit at the table holding bowls of soup. Behind them, Mrs. Bell stirs the large silver pot in the warm kitchen.

A PICTURE BOOK

Dot and the Rainy-Day Recipe

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Dot and the Rainy-Day Recipe

Dot, a small turquoise robot on blue wheels, holds a red bowl in a quiet kitchen. A small silver pot with a hole and a blank note sit on the wooden table beside a rainy window.

Dot the robot lived in a yellow house with a round blue door. On rainy days, she made soup with her neighbor, Mrs. Bell.

One rainy morning, Dot rolled to Mrs. Bell’s kitchen with her red bowl. The kitchen was quiet. On the table was a note: “My soup pot has a hole. I’ve gone to find a new one.”

Mrs. Bell and Dot look into a very large silver pot with big handles on the kitchen table. Rain falls outside the window.

Dot saw the little silver pot. A tiny hole near the bottom let water drip onto the floor. “We can’t cook soup in that today,” said Dot.

Soon Mrs. Bell returned carrying a shiny new pot. It was wide and deep, with two big handles. She peered inside. “Oh dear! This is much too big for only two bowls of soup.”

Mrs. Bell and Dot look through a rain-speckled kitchen window. Dot points toward Mr. Pine, who sweeps outside, while a large pot sits on the table.

Dot looked through the rain-speckled window. Across the street, Mr. Pine was sweeping his porch. Next door, the twins Nia and Sam pressed their noses to the glass.

“Maybe this pot is just right for more friends,” said Dot.

Mrs. Bell smiled. “A rainy-day soup gathering!”

In the rain outside a yellow house with a round blue door, Mr. Pine offers three carrots to Dot. Dot holds her red bowl beside him.

Dot rolled from door to door with her red bowl. “Please come for soup,” she told the neighbors. “Bring one simple ingredient if you have one.”

Mr. Pine brought three carrots. Nia and Sam brought a little bag of peas. Mrs. Green brought noodles in a paper packet, and Mr. Lo brought one round onion. Everyone shook raindrops from their coats and squeezed happily into Mrs. Bell’s warm kitchen.

Mrs. Bell holds an onion over a steaming silver pot while Dot tips noodles and vegetables from her red bowl. Nia watches happily beside the stove.

Mrs. Bell filled the big pot with water. Dot helped add the carrots, peas, noodles, and onion. Soon the soup bubbled gently.

While it cooked, the neighbors set bowls and spoons on the table. “It smells wonderful!” said Nia.

“Like a rainy day turning into a party,” said Sam.

At lunchtime, Mrs. Bell ladled soup into bowl after bowl. Dot sat with her friends, holding her full red bowl.

The big new pot was exactly right for everyone. Outside the window, rain tapped softly on.