Title:
Who Ate All the Pies?Author: CB Lindsay
Illustrator: Gabriele Antonini
Publisher: Tick Tock Books, $9.99 RRP
Publication date: June 2010
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781848982666
For ages: 6 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction
About: Oh, how I'm craving a custard pie. This adorable book written by Belfast native CB Lindsay is resplendant with them, and you can taste their creamy sweetness on each and every page.
Young Cuthbert is a custard pie fanatic (you only have to look at his middle section to tell) and his dear, overworked Granny has a full time job of keeping up with his sweet, sweet addiciton. When, one particularly horrifying day, Cuthbert awakes to a breakfast of... mashed turnips... he knows something is seriously wrong. But Granny ain't talking and the lad has no clue why the pies aren't being churned out of the oven.
When Cuthbert saves a young professor's-son-nerd (Albert) from a bully at school, the two get talking about the strangeness of the pie-issue. You see, Granny is actually still cooking the pies but the whereabouts and who-abouts of their consumption is still unknown.
Cuthbert is determined to find out and Albert is all too willing to help, but what they find out is so astonishing, neither of them can quite believe their eyes. That is until Albert's mad professor dad, Prof Ankles shows up and reveals all... what kind of creature has poor Granny in a custard pickle??
Cleverly plotted, fabulous fun and written with style and wit, this adorable book is a delectable adventure for intermediate readers. With clever plays on words, a beautifully subtle moral message and delightful chapter headings like No Use Crying Over Spilled Custard and Search Every Nook and Granny, it's certainly a pleasure for adults, too.
The illustrations in this book are truly gorgeous - even as line drawings they are so beautifully done and so smooth and easy on the eye, they perfectly complement the smooth-as-custard storyline.
A whimsical, old-school story of fun, frivolity, drama and madcap crazyness that will jostle the imagination of any child. Love it. I'm looking forward to more of Cathryn's work.
This book is available online
Here is Cathryn at her book launch... with custard pies... sigh.
