Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen

by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan

A boy spends the day with Uncle Willie in the soup kitchen where he works preparing and serving food for the hungry

Genres: Picture Books, Poverty, Childrens, Fiction, Social Justice

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Born in Brooklyn, New York, DiSalvo attended the School of Visual Arts before working for Hallmark Cards. Published since 1980 her award winning illustrated books include renowned authors, Beverly Clearly, Mary Pope Osborne, Jean Fritz, Jane O'Connor, Patricia Reilly Giff, Jean Marzollo and Amy Hest.

Writer and Illustrator, her trade mark theme of "helping neighborhoods," has been featured on Reading Rainbow, (Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen) and theatre productions, (City Green). She received a Congressional Commendation from the State of New Jersey for her book, Grandpa's Corner Store, a story which makes "children...realize that they are not always powerless, that they can make a difference."

Reviews

[Sydney Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book brings awareness to the idea of poverty and homelessness. Uncle Willie has a job at a soup kitchen helping out people who may need a little help. His nephew has never been introduced to this idea of homelessness and working in the soup kitchen helps open his eyes. He then loves to help out whenever he can. I would definitely recommend this book in most classrooms. We are often never exposed to the differences in socioeconomic status throughout the world. This book brings awareness to the differences that may be seen in our own backyards.

[Eboni Cook]

Text-to-World Connection:

Uncle Willie and the soup kitchen brings awareness to homelessness and poverty, not just in America, but everywhere. The book mentioned the little boy was taking a walk and he noticed someone sleeping on a bench. Unfortunately, this is a common issue that many people face due to the lack a resources. Shelters, and food banks do exist however with limitations. I would read this book to my students to bring awareness about how and why this may exist, and encourage them to thinking of different ways everyone can come together to solve this problem.

[Jesus Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to represent poverty in an elementary school because the main character lives a normal life. He has a small room in the city but the plot of the story is him going with his uncle to volunteer at the soup kitchen. On his way to the soup kitchen we see the theme of homelessness and poverty constantly being addressed. There are people sleeping on the park benches, tents set up, and many of the characters mention how their only food comes from the soup kitchen. This is a great book to spark students to want to volunteer and make a change in the world in regard's to poverty,

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

*The 'review' here is notes I wrote on the book at least a year ago (if not longer). I didn't have time to write it up then, so I scribbled some notes down so I could write one later that day... then apparently lost the note, and totally forgot. Whoops!*

Nice illustrations & story; it seems a little slow at times, but the author interjects humour throughout to try to keep readers interested. It's a good way to introduce the subject of poverty or homelessness to children, or to encourage kids at helping out in their communities.

It could have been improved, like if the author had added a list of ways that kids could help out in their communities, like helping gather donations in their schools and such.

[Noelle Tomsic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a boy and his Uncle Willie who has two jobs- one of which is working at the soup kitchen. Uncle Willie explains that he works at the soup kitchen because sometimes people need a little extra help. The boy is sympathetic towards people struggling and he proud of his Uncle for helping others. The boy is curious about the soup kitchen and interested in helping out his uncle. He decides to volunteer at the soup kitchen with his Uncle on his day off of school on Monday. The boy watches and helps his Uncle Willie at the soup kitchen all day. Through the book the boy learns who goes to the soup kitchen, homeless people.
The theme of this book is helping others and socioeconomic differences
I would recommend this book because it really teaches on socioeconomic differences. The first couple pages of the book even gives a description of what a soup kitchen is and who supports them. It also gives stats about who is poor and homeless and who and why people go to soup kitchens. This book is a great book for the topic of socioeconomic status because it tells the story of what a soup kitchen is (which many kids aren’t even aware of) through an empathetic lens.

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book is different from most and I can’t decide what age group would like it best. The full page drawings in subdued colors illustrate well the story that is being told about soup kitchens, the kind folks who run them, and the hungry people who visit them. Young children will have lots to look at as the story is read to them.

What seems strange is the length of the text as well as the size of the font. My personal feeling is that the children who can read this story themselves will feel they are too old to be reading picture books. But if they stick with it, they were gain an appreciation for those who cheerfully provide food for the needy through local soup kitchens.

[Megan Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncle Willi helps out in the local soup kitchen and one day takes his nephew with him to work. The nephew doesn’t quite know how to respond to homeless people and it is displayed throughout the story. Most people will be able to relate to this feeling if they have never helped out those in need directly before. This story helps to explain the what and why questions kids have surrounding homelessness. Kids don’t want to be rude by asking but they want to know what happened that caused people to live like that. Uncle Willi tries to teach his young nephew that sometimes it doesn’t matter but what does matter is that people get a warm meal for the day. It’s a heartfelt story and makes you want to help out at your local soup kitchen today.

[Allison Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Uncle Willie leans a little closer and says, "..But some of the people have no place to live. If they're here, they're hungry, and we're here to fill up the bowls.""

Uncle Willie serves soup at a soup kitchen. One day his nephew decides to tag along to see what really happens at the soup kitchen and why Uncle Willie likes working at the soup kitchen.

I really loved this story. Sometimes we just need to help others out without asking questions as to why they ended up in their life circumstance. Uncle Willie taught his nephew what it's like to treat everyone with dignity, no matter their status in life. The story is great and inspiring and the illustrations are very detailed and colorful.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story about a boy who helps his uncle in a soup kitchen. Discusses homelessness and poverty.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy goes with his Uncle Willie to help out at the soup kitchen.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading book that talks about homelessness and being hungry. The creation of a soup kitchen in the neighborhood. Supported by locals.

[Faith Harvieux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen is a great children's book for the older crowd. The story is relatively long which would make it difficult to keep the attention of younger children. The story is about a young boy who is following in his following in his uncle's footsteps and helping volunteer at a soup kitchen. On his day off from school he joins his grandfather and really enjoys giving a helping hand at the soup kitchen.
The story offers a lot of things for older children to think about and is definitely a great book to start a conversation on being a positive member of society, maybe the possibility of volunteering themselves. There is not much if a variety in cultural groups throughout the story, which can make it hard for some children to relate to the story. I have given the story three stars, because I believe the book itself is very wholesome, and a great read, but with the considering, the story is not culturally diverse, and has many biases I would not give it a higher rating.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good read-aloud of realistic fiction that is a suitable fit for children ages Kindergarten through 4th grade. The topic is relevant for this age level, and the content contains an engaging plot with full characters children will be able to connect to. Language is completely non-offensive and suitable. Illustrations correlate to setting, and add to the story in a positive way. A range of multicultural characters is represented, but with slightly unfavorable typecasts. The lifestyles of some of characters seem somewhat generalized, and "hero" characters do not reflect a variety of backgrounds. In fact, the majority of characters who are economically disadvantaged are people of color which seems negatively stereotypical. The story is of an elementary school-aged boy who lives a comfortable, small-town life with his parents. The boy’s uncle, Willie, volunteers every day at a local food bank where he helps gather, cook, and serve food to hungry people from the community. One day, Uncle Willie invites the boy to help out at the community center. The boy agrees, and on the way there, he notices a number of people from the community who are either homeless or very poor. The boy is surprised to discover his Uncle Willie is friendly with most of the impoverished people they meet along the way and he finds out it is because they receive meals at the food bank. The boy helps Uncle Willie and other volunteers who work hard every day to make sure everyone has enough to eat and no one goes home hungry. This book should inspire questions, discussion, and contemplation about poverty, and a consideration regarding whether or not people have a duty to help others who need it. Despite some objectionable issues, this book provides a good window into the type of organization, preparation, and work that goes into running a meal and food pantry. The author is also illustrator, and her biography states she has experience as a volunteer in a soup kitchen, giving her "insider" status as creator of this story.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story doesn't has a elaborated plot with a mystery to reveal or a problem to solve. It's more of a description of how a little boy lives the experience of going to the Soup Kitchen where his uncle works. The boy eager to know what is the Soup Kitchen about and why someone would want to work there.

Uncle Willie shows him how the organization receive donations form stores in the neighborhood, how the people of the kitchen work with dedication to cook the best meal they can offer, and kindly serve the 121 people who shows up in the kitchen that day.

The boy meets the Can Man, a homeless woman he had seen sleeping on a bench, and George, who used to eat at the Kitchen Soup and now volunteers there.

The illustrations are realistic, done in watercolors and colored pencils, full of details the kids will love to discover.

This story really shows caring people organized to serve the hungry, in a community effort to take care of each other.

*This review is part of my project Characters with characters

Check out more children's book reviews in my Reviews in Chalk Blog!

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was in our latest library book bundle about food. I'm giving this three stars because I appreciate the subject matter and how it is handled, but I wish there was more of a plot and/or a clear lesson at the end. I also think this book has a lot of text. I had to break it up over two nights because it was too long to be a bedtime story. I think even for an older child it would be a pretty long bedtime book. It's a 10+ minute read, longer if you have a child who wants to look at the pictures and chat.

[Terina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this for 6 to 10 year olds at Peace Camp. We talked about service to others, not judging those in need, and people in our community. We followed with a neighborhood walk to collect items for the local food pantry. This book held everyone's attention. They asked good questions connecting the book to our community (where is our soup kitchen, who helps there, how many people use it, what about kids in our town).

[Brittany White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book allows a deep conversation of typical social awareness and feelings. In regards to those who are homeless, students may feel an uneasiness. However, through a discussion of our feelings and relating them to this book, students may obtain a greater understanding and compassion for the homeless.

[Jodi Santora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read-aloud for kindness and getting to know people. It is the story of a boy who is watched after school by a man named Willie. Willie works everyday as a cook and server at a soup kitchen. On a day out of school, the boy gets to spend time working at the soup kitchen and getting to know the people it serves.

[Taina]

When going through a text set exposing children to oppression and privilege, it is important to show them what they can do to even playing fields, a way of being active and making change. This title is both great at showing children that they can use their privilege to even the playing field for those who are oppressed. It also shows the importance of family.

[Jasmine Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncle Willie and Soup Kitchen is an accessible access point for younger children to start to understand the concept of hunger and homelessness. Students learn what a soup kitchen is and how just a few people who volunteer their time can make a huge difference in their community. It also works to humanize homeless people.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read to kids!! It gives an elementary explanation for children about the homeless that sometimes cannot be easily answered. I was grateful for the inclusion of the child and his discovery of the homeless and the importance of lending a helping hand.

[Jennifer Oaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy's uncle volunteers a great deal of his time helping to feed the poor. This would be an excellent book to bring up the topic of community service and even start a can drive at the end of the year around Christmas.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our families often teach many things. In Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, a boy goes to visit his uncle at his job. His uncle works at the soup kitchen and learns about poverty. It is a great story to expose children to the good things we can do to help those in need.

[Garrett Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a good book for service to others and being mindful of others! Would be a great book to have in the classroom! It could help lead some students into a discussion about what thy could do to help others in their community!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a really important message and could spark some thoughtful discussions with kids about living in poverty. It feel very out of date, though, and I'm not sure kids would pick it up on their own or stay engaged during a read aloud.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a boy who learns about the hungry and needy through helping his uncle, who works in a soup kitchen.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sensitively told story that is unfortunately more topical today than when it was published 20 years ago.

[Kymberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this. Shows the kids that it is nice to help others.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant and educational look at the people behind the scenes and those who are the scenes of a soup kitchen.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a typical perspective on soup kitchens. I think I could incorporate this book into my religion class to discuss service projects with my students.