I Really Want a Bigger Piece

January 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-In this second story in the "Really Bird" series, our hero shares a blueberry pie with his two friends, Cat and Pup. Really Bird is not pleased with the piece of blueberry pie that Pup gives him. He feels he should get a bigger piece, even though Pup tells him that he got the smallest piece because he is the smallest out of the three friends. Cat also complains that his piece is messy, while Pup says his piece is "purr-fect." Pup realizes his friends are not happy and decides to share the pie equally among them all. In the end, the friends are even able to share pie with other animals. This story shows how Really Bird and his friends handle conflict and use problem-solving to resolve their issue in a positive and fair manner. The text and illustrations align beautifully to showcase the animated interaction of the friends. The end of the book includes scenario questions for adults to discuss with children. VERDICT This is suitable for any collection catering to emerging readers.-Annmarie Braithwaite

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May 1, 2022
How would you share a blueberry pie? Readers of this second book in the series learn more about Really Bird, Pup, and Cat when they have a pie picnic in the park. True to their name, Really Bird is really hungry and really wants a piece of the blueberry pie now. After a quick argument about who is better at serving pie, Cat challenges Dog to cut three pieces that are all the same size, and that's when things become really complicated. Should everyone get the same size piece? After all, they are all different sizes. But Really Bird is "REALLY STARVING." Who should get the biggest piece? And what happens when one piece is messier than another or is missing part of the crust? Luckily, Pup keeps trying and finally finds a solution that makes everyone happy. There's even one piece left over that Really Bird is really happy to share with new park friends, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a mouse. Brightly colored speech bubbles and cartoon illustrations with minimal details against a neutral background make reading both the text and the illustrations easy for new readers. The book closes with discussion questions about what to do in a real-life situation involving cutting slices of pie or cake and what to do when sharing isn't "purr-fect," as Cat would put it. (This book was reviewed digitally.) The true natures of these three characters shine as they problem-solve and share fairly. (Picture book. 5-7)

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