Humble Pie [Hardcover]

Jennifer Donnelly (Author), Stephen Gammell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Only Theo's grandmother sees the truth about the boy: He's as spoiled as a rotten old apple!

That is why, on one of Theo's naughtiest, grabbiest, mouthiest days, Grandmother decides to bake him a pie.

Young Theo has never seen the like. Its crust is as big as a bedsheet; its filling of plums, cherries, peaches, pears, apples, and quince is as tempting as any sweet feast ever set before a boy. But when he greedily reaches out for a taste, little Theo bites off a lot more than he can chew!

Jennifer Donnelly's wise and funny tale has inspired pictures of modern-day wit and medieval charm from a master of artistic antics, Stephen Gammell.

Editorial Reviews

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 Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689844352
• ISBN-13: 978-0689844355
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,952,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My first childhood memories are of dad trying to get me to eat lima beans, and my mom telling me stories. I still won't eat lima beans, but the stories have stuck with me, and these days, I'm telling a few of my own.

I've written three novels so far: A Northern Light, The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and Humble Pie, a picture book for children.

My first novel, The Tea Rose, an epic set in London and New York in the late 19th century, was called 'exquisite' by Booklist, 'so much fun' by the Washington Post, a 'guilty pleasure' by People and was named a Top Pick by the Romantic Times.

My second novel, A Northern Light, set in the Adirondack Mountains of 1906, against the backdrop of an infamous murder, won the Carnegie Medal, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Borders Original Voices Award, and was named a Printz Honor book. Described as 'rich and true' by The New York Times, the book was named to the Best Book lists of The Times (London), The Irish Times, The Financial Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and the School Library Journal.

The Winter Rose, my third novel and the second book in the The Tea Rose trilogy, is out now in the United Kingdom and will be published in the United States in January 2008.

Humble Pie, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Stephen Gammell, tells the story of a selfish little boy named Theo who ultimately gets his just desserts.

I live in New York's Hudson Valley with my husband, our daughter, and Hannibal Lecter, our snapping turtle, whom we love dearly, but from a distance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Once in a great while, a book like this comes along..., September 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Humble Pie (Hardcover)

A truly imaginative and enchanting tale. Great fun to read aloud and linger over the illustrations. You can't go wrong with a great story matched by amazing illustrations with a little sprinkle of morality. This is one of the classics that children will remember for a long time to come, as I remember Dr. Seuss and Where the Wild Things Are.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable and clever - for children of all ages!, August 20, 2002

By 

dnotting "dnotting" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Humble Pie (Hardcover)

Finally! A good old-fashioned morality tale, complete with a naughty boy, a wise grandma and a perfect fairy tale ending. We haven't seen one of these in a long time. Donnelly is a gifted storyteller and Gammell's illustrations are sumptuous. Stylish and clever, the book grabs you from word one and leaves you cheering as bad-boy Theo learns his lesson. A must for children of all ages.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let them eat Humble Pie!, September 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Humble Pie (Hardcover)

This book is a rarity: a story with a moral that's fun (and funny!) for 21st century kids and their parents to read over and over again. Wonderful pictures, too -- the great Stephen Gammell's best. And you know what? I think it really works! I'll be darned if my own little Theos (...) aren't just little more considerate since they got a taste of Humble Pie!