It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday with Susanna Hill!
It’s actually still Thursday where I live, but I’m lookin’ at my watch and I do believe it’s officially Friday on the East Coast … so I’m going to post this now. Ooh, I like living dangerously!
Title: Enemy Pie
Author: Derek Munson
Illustrator: Tara Calahan King
Theme: Bullying, Friendship, Problem-Solving
Publishing: Chronicle Books, October 2000
Audience: Ages 5 to 12
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Opening: “It should have been a perfect summer. My dad helped me build a tree house in our backyard. My sister was at camp for three whole weeks. And I was on the best baseball team in town. It should have been a perfect summer. But it wasn’t.”
Synopsis (from Amazon): It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy! In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipes for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.
Why I Like This Book: I love the colourful, comic book-looking characters, but mostly I love how Munson tackles bullying from a completely different and clever angle. The ending might have to be explained to younger children, but that won’t take away from the message or enjoyment. This book is just fun, refreshing and a feel-good read.
Resources:
1. Derek Munson has a blog devoted to Enemy Pie. If you click on the pic above you’ll find lots of links and resources there.
2. Lyndsey Kuster has several Enemy Pie printables, including the one above. They’re all free!
3. The WITS website has some lesson plans also. Click here.
4. And a huge thank you to Barbara from The Corner on Character for letting me know that Kristen from Ladybug’s Teacher Files has another great resource on Enemy Pie. I can’t believe I missed that! because I LOVE Kristen’s blog. Be sure to click on her link or the image above for a “Recipes For a Great Friendship” freebie.
Happy Reading!
Hi Barbara…what a great book for PPBF!I love the illustrations…and especially the message. With bullying spreading in schools and playgrounds, I try to find as many books on the topic as I can so that I can share them with the kindergarteners I read to. It sounds like Munson has a creative solution for his bully. 🙂
Bullying is a widespread problem. Books like this can only help to teach kids that this is not something they should do. Munson sounds great! I love feel good reads! Great choice! 🙂
This book looks amazing. Thanks.
This looks great! A chapter book that goes along with the same theme of a bully moving in nearby is Jake Drake: Bully Buster by Andrew Clements. It is my chapter book read aloud right now and my kids are really into it!-MeganFirst Grade Magic
This is a great PPBF pick! I really like the illustrations and the story sounds like it has a really great message for kids!
This is a very cool book, love the message and the colour illustrations. Thanks for sharing Barbara. (pst… its Friday down here..lol.)
I just posted about this book on our school website this week! Such a fun twist! Did you see LadyBug Teacher Files writing prompts for it on Pinterest? Too cute!Hope you're enJOYing springtime up there – today is our last day of break down here. I did get LOTS of weeds pulled, that's for sure.Barbara
I do love this book. It's great! Thanks for the reminder.
I LOVE this book. I don't own it but watch it each year with my kids on Storylineonline.I nominated you for 2 awards because you are THAT awesome. :)Stop on by and check them out!http://lasotaslittlelearners.blogspot.com
Amazon, here I come! This looks super, and what a neat website! Love stopping by here on Fridays!LauraPeace, Love, and First Grade
What a wonderful book. I so appreciate books that deal with topics children are likely to face. I'll keep this one at the ready.
This sounds wonderful, Barbara. I can't wait to read it. I'm always glad to add innovative stories about coping with bullying to our list! Thanks so much!
I really like this book. Thanks for the website link up.LaurieChickadee Jubilee
I haven't seen this one before and am really interested. We have had lots of conversations lately around the dinner table about how to deal with issues on the playground at school. So it is timely for me. Thank you!
Love these illustrations. I can sense how it would have an appeal to quite a wide age group. The sign “for my best enemy” I guess hints a little at the outcome? 🙂
Barbara, I love this book — great title, illustrations and message. Such a wonderful choice!
Great review. You have peaked my interest. I love the illustrations. Adding it to my TBR list.
I pinned the book so it's now on my “next paycheck wish list”Rowdy in First Grade
Lover the new look!Christine
That sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing about it. ChrissyFirst Grade Found Me
This is the first time that I've heard of this book and it looks like it has a beautiful message to convey. It's great that we have decided to join the Perfect Picture Book Friday meme, but I have a feeling our TBR stack would grow even longer! 🙂
This book looks adorable! I'm going to get it! Thanks JulieThoughts of a Third Grade Teacher
thanks so much Barbara–and for the sweet words over on my blog! My kids LOVED this book when we read it in class–it was great!So funny about the .ca–I am American and see .com on mine and yours…maybe it's automatic depending on the country we're viewing it from?? I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂
You can also watch it and have it read to you by Camryn Manheim on storylineonline.net I've used that with students before. 🙂
I'm always on the lookout for books about bullying — somehow I've missed this one until now. It looks excellent, and I appreciate that it has a twist way of dealing with the bullying. I must look for this one! Thanks!
Oh wow! We have been working on texts with these same themes the past couple of weeks, but I had not heard of this book! Thank you so much for sharing!! Can't wait to use this text with my kiddies!! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead ~ xx
Great book…a must in every teacher library! Lou
Such a great book for talking to kids about bullying! We use it in the WITS Primary Program and have a free lesson plan with some neat activity and discussion ideas here: http://witsprogram.ca/schools/books/enemy-pie.php?source=book-lists
I am just now getting to read last week's PPBF list along with this week's list. I will have a doubly long list for the library this week. I was hooked at the opening and the illustrations! Can't wait to read it!
Thanks, everyone! I appreciate ALL the positive comments.Barb