Full Text Review(s)
"Thank you for creating such a wonderful children’s book."

"Loved the book.  [VanHecke] has a real gift."

"Take a whimsical romp through the countryside with Granny Smith, who barters newfound treasures for apples she turns into a delectable apple pie.  And you can too, thanks to the thoughtfully provided recipe.  Yum, yum, apple pie for dinner!  A charming book."

"Set off with Granny Smith and discover how kindness can have the best reward of all - a perfect apple pie shared with friends.  Delicious!"

"Old Granny Smith wants an apple pie for dinner but she doesn’t have any apples. Filling a basket with plums from her tree, she sets off hoping to barter her way to the right fruit. She trades her plums for feathers, the feathers (for pillow stuffing) for flowers, the flowers for a cold coin from a prince, the coin for a puppy, and the puppy for—finally—apples. Then, all the traders follow her home and help her make an apple pie, and ‘together, they ate every last crumb.’ the bas-relief illustrations, made from baked-clay and mixed-media of found objects, create a 3-D, Claymation effect. From Granny’s lace cap and embroidered apron to her woven basket and fuzzy dog, the fascinating tactile details will have young and old poring over the pages. Complete with a pie recipe and notes from both the author and illustrator that cite the origin of the tale (the Englsih folktale ‘An Apple Dumpling’) and directions on how to make bas-reliefs, the book is a delicious treat to be shared anytime."

"This delightful cumulative story is based on the English folktale ‘The Apple Dumpling.’ Granny Smith has everything she needs to make apple pie except for apples, so she picks a basket full of plums from her tree and sets off to see if she can trade them for the missing ingredient. One woman takes the plums to make jam in exchange for some feathers, two children are happy to receive the feathers and give her some flowers, and so on, until she finally ends up with a basket of shiny apples. Granny invites all the people she met back to her house where they help her make the pie and then eat ‘every last crumb.’ The outstanding baked clay and mixed-media illustrations are expressive, colorful, and detailed: there is a wonderful picture of Granny standing in her kitchen reading a recipe and realizing that her apple crate is empty. An author’s note, information about the illustrations, and a recipe are appended, and fun activities are available at a dedicated Web site. Told with folkloric flair, this scrumptious tale is perfect for reading aloud to a broad range of ages. Pair it with Linda White’s Too Many Pumpkins (Holiday House, 1996) or include it in an apple-themed unit. Every library will want a copy."

"Granny Smith wants to bake An Apple Pie for Dinner (Marshall Cavendish, 2009), but is missing the main ingredient. Filling her basket with plums from her tree to trade, she sets off in search of the desired fruit. Though it takes several transactions (plums are exchanged for feathers, feathers for wild flowers, flowers for a gold coin, etc.), the kindly old woman eventually ends up with her apples—as well as a passel of new friends (satisfied swappers all) who help to bake the pie (easy-to-follow recipe appended). Based on an English folktale, Susan VanHecke’s warm-hearted narrative resonates with pleasing rhythms, lively repetition, and an upbeat happy-ever-after ending. Rendered in bas-reliefs from baked clay and found objects, Carol Baicker-McKee’s beautifully composed illustrations are amazingly detailed and lifelike. A dedicated web site provides a lesson plan and activities that support the book as well as links to other apple-related sites."