Pie in the Sky

Title: Pie in the Sky
Author/Illustrator: Lois Ehlert
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (April 1, 2004)
Readability Lexile: Pre-K-1st Grade
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Summary and Target Audience:
This story is about a child who moves into a new house and is told that he has a pie tree growing in the yard.  He watched it through the season, looking for the pies and paying close attention to the colors of all of the different animals and leaves of the tree.  He watches the tree transform into fall and the cherries begin to grow and then the animals join in the feast.  They pick the cherries and make cherry pie.  This is a wonderful book with great illustrations and a recipe included in the back for baking cherry pie.  This book would be suitable for ages Pre-K to 2nd Grade and would make for a great interactive lesson making pie!

Evaluation of the Text:

Is this a story that could really happen-Yes, this story could really happen.  Watching the trees transform in the different seasons is so fun and interesting.  This book pays special attention to the critters who also enjoy the tree which makes for even more things to look for on the trees outside your window.

Did the character seem real- The animals certainly were real.  Although the depictions of them were not actual photographs, the representation of them and the behaviors they exhibited were definitely life-like and real.  The child looking for the pies to grow on the trees was definitely life like as well.

Did I feel like I was in that time/place- Yes, I felt involved in the story.  The pictures were made from colorful cut-outs and different combinations of drawings as well as textured paper.  I also liked that  the colors changed with the seasons and the author spent considerable time with detail.

Literary Elements:

Climax- The reason I enjoyed this book was because I was curious while paging through what the reasoning for calling the tree a "pie tree" was going to be.  There could be many different interpretations of the name "pie tree."  The author chose to represent a pie tree as a cherry tree. the climax was the introduction of the tee and the illustration of the transformation of the tree as well as the animals the tree housed and the finale of making a cherry pie at the conclusion of the story. "at last Dad says it's time for us to pick cherries. We're going to make a pie!"

Theme- I enjoyed the theme of togetherness and working together harmoniously which I believe is what the text was trying to get across.  The author spends a lot of time in small text that blends with the pages describing what he/she sees which is repetitive but helpful in determining what type of season it is and what type of animal the reader should be looking for.

Symbolism- In the story the author uses the illustrations and the "I Spy" text as a representation and helpful clue in what season the tree is experiencing at the moment.  "I see a raccoon's black mask, black toes, black nose and eye, and the lime green glow of fireflies.  But no pies."

Illustrations:
The author/illustrator uses a variety of mediums in her collage illustrations, including acrylic and watercolor paints, colored pencils, crayons and pastels, and several types of paper. Each spread is an amazing work of art on its own, filled with beautiful birds, lush cherries, and vividly colored scenery. Pictures are exquisitely designed and laid out. Each spread includes a piece of the ongoing story (in large, bold font) and an "I spy" section that details items for children to look for (in smaller type, using more extensive vocabulary).

Mini-lesson:
This text, while short, encompasses so many different possibilities for all ages.  It can be used as a read-aloud or an independent or small group read with students looking for the smaller text in an "I Spy" form.   It can be used in the younger ages to help with the distinction of the season, older ages with the descriptive language and use of colorful language or to teach a class how to cook a pie.  What would be really neat would be to use this book multiple times throughout the year for the various reasons: In the fall to practice using descriptive language and the distinction of the seasons, in the winter you could make the pie and work on the ingredients and tie it to a math lesson and count how many "descriptive words" the author uses on each page, and in the spring as a project to describe all the new wildlife that the students are seeing after the cold, harsh winter. Possibilities are endless!