The Tummy Men - Virginia Voelker

Category: Fiction. Or is it? Acquired: Christmas, many years ago. Read: October 2008, with grandson Saben. Briefly: how the digestive system really works.

Summary: how many kids get to read a bedtime story that was written, illustrated and published by their great-grandmother? This book is the printed version of the story that my siblings and I grew up with, gradually developing and embellishing it as we dawdled over our dinners.

The gist of the story is that our stomachs are inhabited by Tummy Men, who use the food we send them in various logical and reasonable ways. French fries are skis, peas are baseballs, etc.

After preserving the oral tradition for several decades, Mom put the story into verse in the 1980's. She added hand-drawn illustrations, had it copied and bound, and gave it to us in time to share with our own families.

And now, it becomes part of yet another generation. This blog entry commemorates my first reading of it to Saben who, at the age of 3 1/2 years, laughed all the way through. Annika and Seth, you'll get your turns soon enough.

For those unfamiliar with the story, here's a couple of excerpts:

Now stop and think -- do you suppose it really could be true
That there's a special place down deep inside of you
Where little people live and do their work and play
And wait for us to send them food about three times a day?

They use the food you send them to keep your body strong
And when that job is finished they play the whole night long.
The little girls just love to run and jump spaghetti rope
While boys build sleds of celery for going down the slope.

You won't find it at Amazon, but I might let you see my copy when you come to visit. Unless it's bedtime, when it'll probably be in use.

Thanks, Mom.