Porcupine's Pie



Last updated Friday, December 3, 2021

Author: Laura Renauld
Illustrator: Jennie Poh
Date of Publication: 2018
ISBN: 1506431801
Grade Level: 1st    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Dec. 2021

Synopsis: Porcupine can't wait to share Fall Feast with her woodland friends, so when everyone she greets is unable to bake their specialty due to a missing ingredient, Porcupine generously offers staples from her pantry. When Porcupine discovers that she, too, is missing a key ingredient, the friends all work together to create a new Fall Feast tradition. Porcupine's Pie will inspire children to act generously. A recipe for "friendship pie" can be found at the end of the book.

Note to readers:
•  Should we have photos of real porcupines? There is one on the Pinterest board (see address under Craft Ideas)

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Would you want to hug a porcupine? Ouch! They are covered with sharp stick out toothpick-like feathers.

Vocabulary:

•  Waddled: walking in short steps like a duck
•  Den: when an animal lives inside a tree or a cave
•  Doe: Female deer (What other animals change names completely between male and female?)
•  Beamed: A BIG smile

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Did anyone guess that Porcupine was losing his cranberries as he waddled to visit his griends?
•  Have you ever offered to SHARE your supplies?

Craft ideas:
•  Simple drawing of a porcupine with sharp quills
•  If the teacher has sent home craft things such as the Porcupine Dot to Dot Sheets, mini pie tins, or toothpicks:
mini pie tins and making ingredients out of colored crepe paper, for example, cranberries, nuts, sugar, and flour. Another idea would be providing toothpicks to glue on to our porcupines or stick into a piece of fruit/potato.
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/december-2021-family-the-spirit-of-giving/
•  Check this website for more suggestions: http://readingtokids.org/ReadingClubs/CraftTips.php

Special activities:
•  Ask kids to make a list of ingredients they would put into a FRIENDSHIP PIE - Use the White Board to write and draw the suggestions.
•  Later, the kids can ask a parent or sibling to help them write a thank-you note to someone they appreciate: for example, a friend, a teacher, a doctor, a neighbor, or someone in their family. Tell that person what you like about them and why you appreciate them.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!