The Belly Button Boy

    By Stephen Barker

    The Belly Button Boy cover image

    26 Mar, 2024

    a boy with a backpack standing in front of a street with a star in the sky above him and a town with a green building, magical realism, a storybook illustration, Cliff Childs, rossdraws global illumination

    In the small town of Kettle Brook, there was a boy named Jack who was unlike any other. Jack had an outie belly button that was shaped like a little star. This unique feature of his made him stand out from everyone else in town.

    a boy in a green shirt standing in front of a crowd of children with a star on his shirt, vancouver school, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, stars

    Soon, word spread about Jack's unusual belly button. Children would rush to him during playtime just to catch a glimpse of the little star. Jack's belly button became the talk of the town.

    a cartoon of a boy with a group of people behind him in the background, a street light and a street light, photorealism, a storybook illustration, Brothers Hildebrandt, official art

    Jack loved the attention at first. After all, who wouldn't want to be popular? He was always surrounded by friends, and everyone wanted to hear his stories about the star on his belly.

    a boy sitting on a stone bench in a park with trees and people in the background, with a green shirt and brown shoes, paris school, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, official art

    But as time went on, Jack began to feel overwhelmed. He was no longer just Jack. He was "The Belly Button Boy". He missed the times when he was just another kid, playing in the park.

    a girl in a dress and glasses standing in front of a street with people walking by and a flower shop, american scene painting, a storybook illustration, Alice Prin, official art

    One day, a new girl named Lily moved into town. Lily was unaware of Jack's fame and treated him just like any other friend. This made Jack feel normal again.

    a couple of kids sitting on top of a sandy beach next to a sandy beach covered in sand and a star, photorealism, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily and Jack became best friends. They spent most of their time together, building sandcastles and playing hide and seek. Lily never once asked about Jack's star-shaped belly button.

    a cartoon of a boy and girl standing in front of a group of school children in front of a building, vancouver school, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, official art

    The other kids, however, soon started to pester Lily about Jack's belly button. They asked her if she had seen it and what it felt like. Lily was confused and asked Jack about it.

    a boy and girl sitting on the floor next to a dog and a cat with green eyes and a green shirt, american scene painting, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, cgstudio

    Jack explained to Lily about his belly button and how it made him popular. He also shared how he sometimes wished he was just like any other kid. Lily understood and promised to help him.

    a boy and girl standing in a room with a green wall and a window with pictures on it and a green wall, sots art, a storybook illustration, Brothers Hildebrandt, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily came up with a plan. She convinced Jack to hide his belly button under a band-aid. This way, she said, people would forget about it and treat him normally. Jack agreed to try it out.

    a group of kids standing in a room with a book in hand and a comic bubble above them that says, you're 18 cents, sots art, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, graphic novel

    The next day, Jack came to school with a band-aid on his belly. The other kids were curious, but Jack simply said he had a little boo-boo. Soon, they stopped asking.

    a cartoon of a man with a smile on his face and a thought bubble above his head that says, i don't know what he is, context art, a character portrait, Anson Maddocks, rossdraws global illumination

    Days turned into weeks, and people began to forget about the Belly Button Boy. Jack was finally just Jack again. He could play and laugh without being the center of attention.

    a boy standing on a moon covered hill with stars in the sky behind him and a yellow ball in his hand, space art, a character portrait, Diego Gisbert Llorens, comic cover art

    But something unexpected happened. Jack started to miss his belly button. He missed the little star that made him unique. He missed being the Belly Button Boy.

    a couple of kids sitting next to each other on a couch in front of a window with a potted plant, photorealism, a storybook illustration, Basuki Abdullah, official art

    Jack confessed his feelings to Lily. He told her that he missed being special. Lily listened and told him that he was still special, belly button or not.

    a couple of kids sitting on top of a couch next to each other in a living room next to a window, american scene painting, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, rossdraws global illumination

    Lily reminded Jack that his belly button didn't define him. He was special because of his kindness, his stories, and his friendship. The belly button was just a bonus.

    two children standing in front of a crowd of people on a city street with a building in the background, serial art, a storybook illustration, Brothers Hildebrandt, official art

    Jack realized that Lily was right. He was more than just his belly button. From that day on, Jack decided to embrace his uniqueness, but not let it define him.

    a man with a star on his chest and a belt around his waist, smiling at the camera, with a star above his chest, furry art, a character portrait, Benjamin Marra, tom of finland

    Jack removed the band-aid and revealed his star-shaped belly button again. People were excited, but this time, Jack didn't let it overwhelm him. He was just Jack, who also had a cool belly button.

    a couple of kids walking down a sidewalk next to a park with a playground in the background and trees, paris school, a storybook illustration, Diego Gisbert Llorens, official art

    Lily and Jack continued to be best friends. They played and laughed together, and Jack's belly button was just another part of their friendship, not the center of it.

    a man standing in a library with a book case full of books behind him and a cartoon of him, academic art, a character portrait, Anson Maddocks, official art

    Jack learnt a valuable lesson. Being unique was great, but it was not everything. He was special because of who he was, not because of his belly button.

    a man with a star on his shirt in front of stars of different colors and sizes on a blue background, space art, a character portrait, Cedric Seaut (Keos Masons), stars

    Jack continued to wear his star-shaped belly button with pride, but he no longer let it define him. He was happy being Jack, the boy with a unique belly button, and a heart full of kindness.

    a man standing in front of a street with a bunch of people on it and a building in the background, lyco art, a comic book panel, Adam Paquette, official art

    And so, Jack lived happily in the small town of Kettle Brook, making friends, sharing stories, and spreading kindness. His belly button was a part of him, but it was not all of him.

    a boy standing in a room with shelves full of boxes and boxes on the shelves and a backpack on his back, process art, poster art, Asaf Hanuka, rossdraws global illumination

    Jack's story spread far and wide, reminding everyone that being unique is wonderful, but it's who you are inside that truly matters. And that's the story of the Belly Button Boy.

    The Belly Button Boy

    AI Children’s Stories