The Full Belly Bowl

by Jim Aylesworth, Wendy Anderson Halperin (Illustrator)

Dear Friend, the tiny note reads,

In appreciation of your kindness and generosity,

I leave you this Full Belly Bowl.

You need never know hunger again.

Use it wisely or it will be a burden.

To empty, pour it out.

When not in use, store it upside down and out of reach of children.

"What on earth is a Full Belly Bowl?" the very old man wonders -- but he soon finds out. No matter how much he eats from it, the bowl magically refills itself. For the first time in a long time, the old man isn't hungry. Then he discovers that the bowl can refill itself with other things -- even his one copper coin -- and now it looks like he'll never want for anything again!

His excitement makes him careless, however, and as he hurries off to spend some of his new wealth, he leaves the bowl right side up. And who can say what might get into the Full Belly Bowl in his absence?

Fully realized in Wendy Halperin's beautiful and intricate illustrations, Jim Aylesworth's whimsical folktale will delight readers while striking a note of caution.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cats, Fiction, Magic, Fairy Tales

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Jim Aylesworth was born in Jacksonville, Florida but as an infant moved from the state. He lived in many places during his childhood: Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas... but by the time Aylesworth was 15 his family had settled in Hinsdale, Illinois and that is where he graduated from high school in 1961.

In 1965, he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in English. He returned to Hinsdale and began a career as a stockbroker. By 1970, however, Aylesworth was thinking about what he really wanted to do. After a series of assignments as a substitute teacher, Aylesworth ended up in a primary classroom. He began teaching first grade students in Oak Park, Illinois in 1971 and entered Concordia College in River Forest, Illinois, to earn a graduate degree in elementary education -- a goal he reached in 1978.

But it was his work with children that brought him the most reward. It was Aylesworth's experiences as a teacher that eventually led him to writing children's books.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poor old man experiences some unexpected fluctuations in fortune in this charming picture-book, after rescuing a "wee small man" from a fox, and being given a magical bowl in return. Cautioned that the bowl must be used wisely, or it will "become a burden," the old man is at first delighted with his gift, which reproduces whatever is placed in it. Soon he and his beloved cat Angelina have more than enough to eat. But when he discovers that the bowl will also reproduce coins, he forgets the wee man's warning in his excitement, with some rather unexpected consequences...

An original fairy-tale from Jim Aylesworth - whose other picture-books include The Mitten , The Gingerbread Man , and Goldilocks and the Three Bears - The Full Belly Bowl is an absolute delight! An engaging story and an appealing hero are joined to adorable illustrations by Wendy Anderson Halperin, who recently worked on a new edition of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Racketty-Packetty House . Cat lovers in particular will enjoy the old man's relationship with Angelina, whom he considers "just about the sweetest cat in the whole world," and will relish the ending!

[Clarissa Unruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all love this book!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming story about an old man and his dear cat. They are very happy together but they never quite get enough to eat. One day, the old man helps a wee man and, to thank him for his kindness, the wee man leaves a "Full Belly Bowl" for the old man. Whatever is put into the bowl multiplies--this could be sweet strawberries, or even spiders if you aren't careful with storing the bowl!!! Would it also work with money!? And will the old man become too greedy with duplicating things or will he realize that sometimes having a full belly and a dear cat is enough to make one happy.

I so enjoy Halperin's illustrations and they are just glorious here. Perfectly charming and cozy and detailed. Aylesworth's cautionary tale is also a delight--I wasn't sure if I liked one of the aspects in the story, but it seemed to work out well enough and, in the end, I was satisfied.

[JESSICA J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked The Full Belly Bowl as a folktale/fairytale for my future classroom library because it was not a well known tale about princes and princesses or talking animals, but rather a real life conundrum of not having enough and then having too much. I think this would be great for 2nd-3rd graders who are just learning to think critically about text and what the underlining meaning is. Readers will enjoy the beautiful illustrations that support the details of what is happening in the text perfectly. The old man is endearing and his cat too.

I would use this book in a reading classroom to teach about author's message. This is never explicitly stated and readers must infer the lesson that the author wants the reader to learn through details in the text. It would also be interesting to hear students ideas on what they would wish their bowl to be filled with if they had one and ask them to discuss what kind of problems might arise from it, teaching about cause and effect.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great lessons: being grateful for what you have, being kind to everyone, not being selfish, taking life as it comes. I think what I like most about its lessons is the way the old man doesn't get angry or upset when the bowl breaks, maybe just a little disappointed. That's a lesson a lot of kids I know need help with-- something going wrong is not the end of the world.

[Joshua Nauman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally checked this book out because I thought the name was funny but after reading it, I genuinely loved it. The art, the themes, the wee little man, the bowl, everything. Can't believe I missed this one as a kid.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my PK today and was pleasantly surprised how into it they were. I used a smartboard camera doc so I could zoom in on all of the small vignettes otherwise I don't know if it would work for story time. We had a good discussion afterwards.

[Melinda Trotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny story about getting too much of a good thing. The illustrations are beautiful, have shading and are sketch like.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

[Owen & Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny and poignant story! It would be a great gift for a cat lover.

[Danielle Mootz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids and I thought this book was very clever and entertaining. I highly recommend it!

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a really fun read!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember being read this book in possibly kindergarten or third grade. (I get those two grades confused because they were both when the classroom I was in was a modular attached to the school.)

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really, really enjoy this story and I love Wendy Anderson Halperin's art.

[Jane Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit, at first I was a bit horrified at the amount of cats who end up in this story -- haha! -- but all-in-all a lovely little folktale with beautiful illustrations!

[Wendy Garland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pair with Strega Nona

[Sydney Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the illustrations. Decent story.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud for elementary age children

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely folksy story with nice illustrations - enjoyed it even though I'm not a cat person. My 4 year old enjoyed it too.

[Jazzmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book most for the creativity and imagination behind it. I loved the concept of the Full Belly Bowl. I enjoyed the story and the illustrations truly made it come alive. The "very old man" and his little cabin in the forest were so quaint and I liked their lifestyle... true simplicity and happiness- without the problems of the Full Belly Bowl that is. It was neat to see the surprises and discoveries in the story when things go wrong with the bowl and there is a valuable moral to the book as well.

Really enjoyed this one. I think it was a great sort old-fashioned, folktale sort of book :)

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a classic. At least, it will be. I love the detailed illustrations and the components of the story, telling about how having more doesn't mean everything is better. Perhaps the message just hits home, but the style of storytelling (like a fairytale) is beautiful and timeless to me, and I was surprised by how much my girls (5yo and 3yo) loved this story despite its lack of female characters (they're princess fiends).

[Karen Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A serendipitous find my daughter picked up at the public library for reading to my grandchildren. Wonderful fable with inviting illustrations. What a pleasure! I love this story with a touch of fantasy, a touch of humor, and the teaching of a timeless moral lesson. So much better for children than what fills so many shelves today. This is Children's Literature at its finest!!

[The Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great fairy tale about a kindly old man who receives a magical bowl for helping a wee small man. The bowl will keep producing whatever you put in it - from spiders to gold coins - until you dump that item out and turn the bowl over. A great lesson in how having everything you want can be a blessing and a curse.

Very detailed and interesting illustrations.

[Ilana Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to choose which I like better about this book--the story or the illustrations. Fortunately, we don't have to! Enjoy them both--and give a few dozen copies to the corporate giants in your life. ;-)

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tale of an old man, his cat, and their strange new full belly bowl: whatever gets put into it gets multiplied! The pictures are quite intricate making this a good read aloud when you cuddle up with the audience--not so much when you are reading to a large group.

[Kelly]

Z told me about this book they read this week in preschool, and I wanted to know more. So I arrived early for pickup to give us time to read it together. Lovely illustrations. A good story to accompany Just Enough, and Not Too Much.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gem! This would be fun for school visits. Might also be a fun read aloud when elementary classes visit the library. Thanks to Travis Jonker for suggesting it as a Hall of Fame Book on his blog.

Update - I read this to the YMCA kids today. A big hit.

[Barbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story for 2nd and 3rd grade. They enjoy thinking about how the bowl works and what they would do with one.

[jenna Hudrlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really like books with a message and this one has a good one - its about greed

[Jenifer]

kid approved!