Did you know that elves may like one kind of pie and not another? Elmer is a little elf who lives with a human family. Of course, no one knows that he is there because no one can see an elf, and no one can hear an elf, and no one can feel an elf. One day the family makes a blueberry pie, and when Elmer tastes what is left over, he jumps right in and eats until his elfin stomach bulges. He wants another one right away, but he has no way of letting the family know. He does not like apple pie. He does not like pumpkin pie. He does not like cherry pie. But the cherry pie gives him an idea. Will he ever find a way to tell the people that he wants blueberry pie? And will they make him one?
This book, originally published in 1961 by Jane Thayer, the pen name of Catherine Woolly, is representative of the high quality stories that were written for young children in the 1940s, 50s, and early 60's. It is a shame that so many of them have been forgotten, and we can be thankful to Purple House Press for making several of them available again for the delight of youngsters today. Not only is The Blueberry Pie Elf a fun read, but it also exemplifies the importance of being helpful, expressing thanks, and in general having good manners. Seymour Fleishman's muted but picturesque illustrations add so much to the action. Kids of all ages, and the adults who read to them, will really enjoy this wonderful book.
Anonymous
Posted June 10, 2007
This was my favorite book from childhood: simple prose about a hungry elf who desired nothing more than a blueberry pie. An 'Elf versus Man' plotline that has never been trumped since: the humans who bake the delicious pies enjoyed by this elf are not able to see or hear his small and uncertain voice. Capstoned with the bygone sentiment of finishing even a simple request with a sincere 'Please,' this story will speak to anyone whose experience in life involves marginality--from preferring less popular forms of sweetness to surmounting the obstacles of communication outside of the boundaries of ordinary taste.
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