Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-What should have been a perfect summer for one young boy is ruined when Jeremy Ross moves in and becomes number one on the narrator's enemy list. Fortunately, his father has a secret recipe for a pie that is guaranteed to help get rid of enemies. While Dad works on mixing the ingredients and baking the pie, he explains his son's role in the plan: "-you need to spend a day with your enemy. Even worse, you have to be nice to him." It sounds tough, but the boy decides to give it a try. Predictably, between throwing water balloons at the girls, playing basketball, and hiding out in the tree house, he decides that Jeremy is not so bad after all. There's still the problem of the pie, however. When his father serves up the dessert, the young protagonist decides to warn Jeremy that it is "poisonous or something." However, it seems that both his father and his new friend are just fine, and what's more, the pie is delicious. This is a clever tale with an effective message about how to handle relationships and conflict. King's stylized and humorous illustrations, done in colored pencil and pastel, will work well with a group.-Roxanne Burg, Thousand Oaks Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
To help his son get rid of a perceived enemy, a wise father agrees to bake his famous Enemy Pie. The suspense around the mysterious pie builds as the boy fulfills his end of the bargain by spending what becomes a very enjoyable day with the now-former enemy. This sly tale is further enhanced by warm colored-pencil illustrations featuring goofy globe-headed characters. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Bland pictures and superficial presentation sink this problem-solver. Feeling slighted by new neighbor Jeremy, the aggrieved young narrator accepts his fathers offer to make an enemy pie. Dad insists on doing the baking, but tells the lad that the recipe also requires spending a day playing with the enemyafter which, predictably, the two lads sit down as newly minted friends for pie à la mode. Though the narrator speculates about the pies ingredients, the promisingly gross worm-and-weed dishes on the cover never materialize in the illustrations inside, nor are any of Jeremys supposed offenses depicted. Instead, King shows the boys in a series of conventional, static scenes, throwing water balloons at girls and other fun activities. Meanwhile, Dads fixed, knowing smile invites viewers to share the conceiteven though his naïve son never does catch on. And is Jeremy really so hostile? He displays so little individual character that its hard to get a read on him; he just seems to be going with the flow. Invite readers to order up a bowl of Betsy Everitts Mean Soup (1992) instead, or a slice of Margie Palatinis Piggie Pie (1995). (Picture book. 6-8)
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