Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen

by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan (Illustrator)

Overview

A gentle and age-appropiate introduction to two key issues of our time—hunger and homelessness—from a kid's point of view. This empathy-building book is good for sharing at home or in a classroom.

“Based on the actual volunteer experience of the author, this picture book provides a look into the soup kitchen without an overly sentimental view of the hungry or a dose of pessimism for the reader. With a note about soup kitchens introducing the story, this is informative and new, but not scary,” praised Booklist.

“A boy wonders about the people he sees on his city’s streets until he goes to the soup kitchen where his uncle works. The varied needs of the individuals there become clear to the young narrator. The watercolors use earthtones and careful detail to illustrate aptly the warm, friendly story," according to The Horn Book.

Recommended as a resource for teachers and librarians to build a connection with their local community and the school, as well as a way for any adult to help foster a conversation and respond to a child's natural curiosity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780688152857
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/24/1997
Series:	Reading Rainbow Bks.
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	284,093
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 0.08(d)
Lexile:	560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan's books include Grandpa's Corner Store, A Castle on Viola Street, City Green and Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. She lives in Philadelphia.

DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan's books include Grandpa's Corner Store, A Castle on Viola Street, City Green and Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. She lives in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

Successful. . . .This is informative and new, but not scary.” — Booklist

“A wholesome look at this benevolent institution.” — Kirkus

From the Publisher

Successful. . . .This is informative and new, but not scary.

Booklist

Successful. . . .This is informative and new, but not scary.

Booklist

Gr 1-3-- If good intentions made great picture books, this would be a winner. A young boy accompanies his after-school companion, Uncle Willie, to a city soup kitchen where Willie works daily. In a ``bed-to-bed'' manner of storytelling, readers are informed of the operation of the soup kitchen as the unnamed boy assumes the role of helper and narrator. There are some discrepancies in the text. How could the steaming soup pots on the stove ``make the whole place smell delicious'' before any of the ingredients have been added? If the soup kitchen is ``small and bright,'' how does it hold 125 people? These inconsistencies, however, are not so much of a drawback as the didactic tone. The competent pictures in soft pastels are sufficient to tell much of the story, but the long, repetitive text makes this book difficult to use as a read-aloud for story hours. Although this seems to be an accurate picture of a topic that is certainly of current concern, the format suggests a younger audience than the one for whom the subject matter would be most interesting and relevant. --Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, NY

School Library Journal