THE PIE IS CHERRY

Rex (My Race Car, 2000, etc.) uses the simple sentence structure of the title to describe a full day in the kitchen with three redheaded siblings and their dog. (“The dog is awake.”) Many of these simple, four-word sentences describe the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the food as it is being prepared throughout the day. (“The bacon is sizzling. The egg is fried.”) Other sentences describe the kitchen appliances or equipment. (“The garbage is smelly.”) The descriptive final word of the sentence falls into a wide range of categories: colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and tastes. (“The sugar is sweet.”) Many pages are divided into several related panels with one sentence and an illustration for each item, with a few larger illustrations and full-page spreads to vary the illustration mix. The redheaded sisters and brother and their dog are cheery, cartoon-style kids, and there are lots of colorful details and backgrounds in the well-stocked kitchen. The progression of 32 pages of simple sentences with the same pattern is a trifle bland, but this repetitive and predictable structure will be useful in kindergarten and first-grade classes, where children begin writing sentences following basic patterns such as this one. The concept is useful. (Picture book. 3-6)