Title: Ugly Pie
Author: Lisa Wheeler
Illustrator: Heather Solomon
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Ages: 4-8
"Ol' Bear woke up one morning with a hankering'
for pie. Not just any pie. Ugly Pie.
But the only ugly thing he had in his kitchen was
some gooey sweet molasses. It tasted just fine, but
it wasn't what Ol' Bear was itchin' for."
Synopsis: Ol' Bear was on the hunt for the ugliest pie there was but all his friends were baking was sweet, delicious pies. One by one his friends give his some ugly ingredients to take with him on his journey and Ol' Bear finally decides to bake an ugly pie himself, to the delight of all his friends.
Why I liked it: I prefer pie to other desserts so the theme of this story automatically captured my attention, but "ugly pie"? I was pleasantly surprised to discover Ms. Wheeler's story about one bear's search for something to eat ended up with a truly tasty dish! Ms. Solomon's cute illustrations invite readers to stop and look around at all the activity going on as Bear slowly makes his way through the forest in search of something special to eat.
