Heavenrich, Sue. Pie That Molly Grew, The. Chamisa Kellogg, Illus. Sleeping Bear, 08/2023. [28]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-53411-184-4. GRADES Preschool–3. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
Molly grows pumpkins and makes a pumpkin pie in this charming story that also conveys facts about the process. Using the folktale The House That Jack Built for inspiration, the cumulative text shows how to grow a pumpkin step by step: from seed, to sprout, to vine, to flower, to the final pumpkin. The full-color illustrations resemble gouache paintings, showing Molly and her family with tan skin and dark brown hair and eyes, and her neighbors of various ethnicities. The book ends with a pumpkin pie recipe and information on the bees needed to pollinate the seeds. This works well for storytime or other group readalouds due to the cumulative text. Teachers could use this to inspire a classroom project on seeds.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool