Product Description

"A straightforward fictional view of an urban soup kitchen, as observed by a boy visiting it with his `Uncle Willie,' who works there every day....The difficult lives of those fed (including children)--as well as the friendly, nonintrusive attitude of the kitchen workers toward them--are presented sensitively but without sentimentality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #144929 in Books
• Published on: 1997-04-24
• Released on: 1997-04-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780688152857
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 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
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Successful. . . .This is informative and new, but not scary." -- -- Booklist

About the Author
DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan's books include Grandpa's Corner Store, City Green and Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. She lives in Philadelphia. In Her Own Words...

"When I was a girl growing up in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest sibling of one brother and two sisters, I never thought that my art was among the very best. My mother and father recognized my art ability early on. It was because of their sensitivity that I eventually began to acknowledge my talent and enjoy my life as an artist. I remember when I was eight years old, looking at a book one day and thinking: I can make a better book. It was from that day on that I knew I wanted to be an artist and author of children's books. Consequently, whenever anyone asked me if wanted to be an artist When I grew up, I answered, "I am all artist already."

"I always loved a sharp pencil and a new piece of paper. As a young girl, I drew all the time. Even as a teenager, I stayed in my room and drew for hours. My favorite books as a child were the Madeline series, anything by Dr. Seuss, The Five Chinese Brothers, and A Big Ball of String.

"After attending college a[ the School of Visual Arts in New York, I moved to Kansas City, Missouri" in 1978 to work with Hallmark cards. While living in Kansas City, I set tip interviews with New York publishers whenever I went back home. My first book was Published by Western Publishing in 1980. Since then, That New Baby has sold over one million copies. It is even printed in Indonesian!

"Before I begin a book I can see the whole thing. I can sense tile color and pacing. Depending on the type of manuscript I am working with, sometimes I take a lot of photographs, sometimes I need to do historical research, sometimes I draw from my head. Usually, it is very easy for me to draw. If I find myself erasing too much, I will start all over and try to envision the picture in a new way.

My characters are based on people I know or people I have seen.I want children to be able to see themselves or their neighbors when they look at my illustrations.I want them to feel familiar.Many of my personal experiences become the source of inspiration for my stories.The story of Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen was born from the three years I spent working at a soup kitchen while I lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn.City Green was inspired by the garden lot that I passed on my way there.Inspiration for Grandpa’s Corner Store comes from a local grocer with many loyal customers (including me) in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.Before writing, A Castle on Viola Street, I worked for several months building and renovating houses in Camden, New Jersey, through a nonprofit group like Habitat for Humanity.I donate a percentage of my royalties from each book to the organization that they support.This is my way of contributing back to the communities and purposes my books provide.

Currently, I live in a historical town just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.I like living in a small town.It is quiet and easy to think.But the moment I cross the Verranzano Bridge into Brooklyn, I am enchanted by the man sweeping outside the little bodega.I am charmed by three women talking on a street corner, holding the red-and-white strings of their bakery boxes.There are teenagers in curlers and kids scooping puddle water with spoons.From fire escapes to gum spots I see life in the buildings and movement on the sidewalks.I take out my sharp pencil and a clean piece of paper.I am an artist already

Customer Reviews

astonishingly poignant
Uncle willie and the soup kitchen is a beautiful,wonderful book to read with a child. It presents a young boy and his Uncle willie as he gathers food to prepare at a soup kitchen in which he works.The fact that Uncle Willie considers the denizens his guests, and not moochers or people looking for a handout is deeply moving. No treacly sentiment,no preaching, this is a lovely story which made me cry upopn first reading it.I read it with my kids, and have pressed copies upon others since discovering it in a remainder bin! My first grade class adored it, and it stimulated a great discussion afterwards on hunger poverty and helping.Reaaly very well done.Moving gentle loving,belongs in every library.

Uncle Willie Teaches Compassion
Can a soup kitchen be warm and inviting? It can when Uncle Willie works there.

When his nephew has a day off from school, Uncle Willie invites him to spend the day helping him at the soup kitchen. Although hesitant at first, the young boy discovers, that in Uncle Willie's eyes, that the food collected from his neighborhood is not just food, but preparation for a feast. To Uncle Willie, the soup kitchen visitors aren't strangers. They are his guests.

You'll travel with Uncle Willie and he gathers donated food throughout the neighborhood. His enthusiasm is so contagious all along the way that you'll almost be able to smell the food cooking. Pay careful attention to the illustrations as every page offers a look into the spirit of the kitchen, who pays a visit, and the inner workings of a successfully run organization. You'll find bright posters, a cheery staff, and inviting table arrangements.

While the book is directed at children aged 4-8, anyone will come away with a positive feeling and enough working knowledge to get them started in volunteering.

To further discussions on hunger and poverty, you'll want to make sure to read the introduction. It's a good starting point for asking your local librarian for help in finding out more about the subject.

Great for encouraging service
I ran into this title while using Kindness and Justice curriculum published by [...] many years ago. This book introduces the concept of helping others through the eyes of a child. Great for read-aloud and encouraging children to look for ways to help others.