Module 14: Once I Ate a Pie

Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan & Emily MacLachlan Charest

Book Cover Image:

Book Summary:

Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily M. Charest is a collection of fourteen free verse poems revolving around different dogs, their distinct personalities, and sometimes irritating-sometimes endearing behavior.  The authors make the font as playful as the canines they’re describing, and the beautifully painted dog images are a perfect complement to the heart-warming poems.                                     

          

APA Reference of Book:

MacLachlan, P. & Charest, E. M. (2006). Once I ate a pie. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Impressions:

Once I Ate a Pie can only be described it as "too cute."  Each poem describes antics that any dog owner will recognize like borrowing slippers and socks, barking at anything and everything, and waiting till their people are fast asleep before asking to go outside.  Many elementary school students mistakenly believe that poems must rhyme, so this picture book provides the perfect introduction to free verse poems.  Just be prepared to be peppered with students’ pet stories once the initial reading is done.     

Professional Review:

School Library Journal

“Free-verse poems about 14 individual dogs sprawl across oversize spreads accompanied by large oil illustrations. The poems and paintings together delightfully capture each distinct personality in few words and with broad strokes of the brush. The fonts change often and reflect the poet's words--rising and falling, sometimes in bold type, growing larger and smaller and dancing over the pages. The format allows for plenty of white space, emphasizing the postures and personalities of the pups and helping the playful fonts to stand out. The overall result is an entertaining visit with some very appealing canines, and a book that perhaps could serve as an inspiration in the classroom for young poets trying to describe their own pets. One wishes that the breeds were listed somewhere, but all in all, this title is still a real treat.”

Constantinides, J. (2006, May). [Review of the book Once I ate a pie, by P. MacLachlan & E. M. Charest].  School Library Journal, (52)5, 114-115. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:

Elementary School Library

Possible activities for Once I Ate a Pie include identifying the dog breeds pictured in the book, and then creating a graph surveying the class’s favorite breeds.  Students can also create pictures of their own pets and their interesting behavior.