All for Pie, Pie for All

In this merry, multi-species story cooked up with folksy warmth and humor, everybody gets a piece of the pie — and then some.

Grandma Cat makes a delicious apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone — and even a piece left over. Grandma Mouse finds a piece of apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone — and even crumbs left over. Grandma Ant spies some crumbs of apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone. But what's left over after cats, mice, and ants have had their fill? Little readers will eat up this scrumptious, gently math-related story that's as sweet and satisfying as a fresh-baked dessert.

In this merry, multi-species story cooked up with folksy warmth and humor, everybody gets a piece of the pie — and then some.

Grandma Cat makes a delicious apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone — and even a piece left over. Grandma Mouse finds a piece of apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone — and even crumbs left over. Grandma Ant spies some crumbs of apple pie, and there's plenty for everyone. But what's left over after cats, mice, and ants have had their fill? Little readers will eat up this scrumptious, gently math-related story that's as sweet and satisfying as a fresh-baked dessert.

Publishers Weekly

As warm and comforting as fresh-baked apple pie, this cinnamon sweet picture book about cooperation and sharing is just right for a family read-aloud. The Cat family is so satisfied with the apple pie Grandma Cat bakes that they leave only one last slice on the table before they take their naps. That leftover piece becomes a whole meal for the Mouse family, and their leftover crumbs in turn end up as perfect fare for the Ant family. Martin's (We've All Got Bellybuttons!) text, with its alluring repetition, can be quickly memorized by a preschooler: "Little Brother Cat ate a piece./ Big Sister Cat ate a piece./ Momma Cat ate a piece...." What the text lacks in complexity, it makes up for in geniality and a quickly moving plot, with more than a baker's dozen appealing characters. Gorbachev's (The Giant Hug) homey full-bleed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations brim with joy, as one family after another shares the feast. When Grandma Cat wakes up from her nap and says, "I'm hungry. Should I bake another pie?" each family, in turn, shouts, "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes." Cats, mice and ants ("even little Baby Ant") all work together on Grandma's huge kitchen table to make another pie. The book celebrates the importance of family mealtime, but also provides an example of an amiable community where sugar, flour and harmony are all mixed together with love. Ages 3-5. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

David Martin is the author of WE'VE ALL GOT BELLYBUTTONS! illustrated by Randy Cecil, and PIGGY AND DAD GO FISHING, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz, among other books. He lives in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.

Valeri Gorbachev has written and illustrated many books for children, including GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, which SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL called "a perfect version for preschoolers." He lives in Brooklyn, New York.