Applelicious

Apple of My Pie by Mika Song

Norma and Belly are back with another delectable adventure. Last year the squirrels discovered donuts. Now they venture into the world of pies. Apple pies.

Gramps and Little Bee visit the local farmers' market and unfortunately Gramps falls asleep in a truckload of apples bound for the factory. This could be trouble! Little Bee enlists Norma and Belly to help rescue Gramps from what could be a dismal fate: A squirrel baked inside an apple pie.

The rescuers travel to the Crunchy Acres apple orchard and processing plant. Their search for Gramps lands them in a vat of apples that are about to become pie filling.
​There is plenty of clever word play. The squirrels are dumped onto a conveyor with an incline.  They note that “things are looking up.” Norma escapes from the apple peeling apparatus and exclaims “that was a close shave.”

​This charming tale of friendship is jam-packed with special touches. Fans of Donut Feed the Squirrels will notice cameo appearances from some familiar characters. Song brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, tying together the worlds of humans and squirrels. Apple of My Pie is a delicious treat not to be missed.

More Yummy Books from Mika Song

Just For Fun

Why not create your own tree populated with squirrels? Author Mika Song provides a tree template to download and print. She suggests filling the tree with fingerprints.
Then add details to each tiny print to personalize the furry creatures. 
​Will Nora, Belly, Gramps, and Little Bee have a place on the branches?

Try making mini apples pies. Fill a small oven-safe jar with your favorite apple pie filling. I used an unusual recipe which features orange and apple juices cooked with apple slices. Details here.
Top with a circle of pie crust pastry. Crimp the edges and pop in a hot oven (about 425) until the pastry is lightly browned. For an easy version, fill jars with precooked filling and top with a crumbled oatmeal cookie. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. It’s a sweet little mouthful of apple goodness.

Electronic copy accessed via NetGalley.

Pub date: June 8, 2021Publisher: Random House Grapic  ISBN: 978-1984895851