From Publishers Weekly
Theo has earned a village-wide reputation for being greedy and grabby. While the locals all have theories about the root of the problem, Theo's grandmother knows the true cause: he is spoiled rotten. Grandmother also knows the only cure is a heaping helping of humble pie a gigantic concoction that she happens to be preparing. She mixes Theo in with the fruit filling and covers it with crust, and not even Theo's worst tantrums get him out. Finally, when he rolls still inside the pie into a nearby village of starving people, the boy gets a taste of what it means to be compassionate. Debut author Donnelly gamely offers rhythmic turns of phrase ("Theo howled and yowled and thumped and bumped over rocks and ruts and branches") but her shapely prose does not disguise the didactic flavor of an old-fashioned morality tale. In addition, her examples of what constitutes spoiling a plump featherbed, a soft tunic, a warm coverlet are a stretch. The illustrations, however, convey an impish sense of fun that will have young readers happily following along and cheering for Theo's comeuppance. In Gammell's (Song and Dance Man) signature style, wispy colored-pencil and watercolor compositions alternate between shadowy black-brown hues and a palette bursting with rainbow brightness. Anchored in Old World details, his interpretations add dramatic punch and leavening along with a healthy dash of humor. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. Set in a medieval land, this picture book introduces Theo, a rotten kid, who is selfish, lazy, and indifferent to the suffering of others. On the day he eats Baby's birthday cake, his grandmother decides to do something about her spoiled grandson. She makes a gigantic humble pie, and with a magical rhyme, she pops Tom inside. A major tantrum isn't enough to free him, and his "friends" refuse to pull him out. His family doesn't even care that he's gone. When Theo rolls himself to the village, he notices, for the first time, the ravaged, hungry people and feels pity. All the villagers see, however, is the huge pie. In the nick of time, Theo extricates himself and rushes home, a better boy who, as his grandmother notes, "has gotten his just deserts." Using fairy tale conventions, Donnelly's debut is fresh and funny. The only unsatisfying note is the ending, when Theo's freedom comes accidentally rather than as a result of his change of heart. Gammell's art is known for its exuberance. Here, using pastels, watercolors, and colored pencils, he offers splatters and splats, messes and muddles, adding mirth to the story's worth.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
