The Apple Pie Tree Book: Magnetic Four seasons play

Book

The Apple Pie Tree




Recently CJ has got interested in apple pie and to go with her interest we got the book from the library. The simple and beautifully illustrated story is about the tree that grows the best part of Apple pie - APPLES

The story is of two little sisters who watch their backyard apple tree grow through the year. In winter, the tree is bare and brown and as Spring arrives the tree grows leaves and blossoms. Petal start falling down and green apples appear in place. In Summer, green apples get bigger. Finally, in autumn, the girls pick the ripe apples and help their mother and father bake a delicious apple pie.

We also liked the way the author, Zoe Hill interleaved the story of the family of robins that lives in the apple tree. In Spring when the leaves appear, two robins build a nest. When Tiny buds appear they lay eggs and guard them. The Buds bloom and the baby robins hatch.  The birds grow feathers as the blossoms grow and learn to fly when the petals begin to fall. In Summer, the birds have grown up and fly away but they visit the apple tree daily.

At the end of the book, the author has a step-by-step description of how bees help apples grow through pollination and a yummy Apple pie recipe.

We love the beautiful, colorful collage Illustrations by Shari Halpern. Very impressive!

Craft

The Inspiration is from our very own Apple picking post using magnetic pom poms. CJ and I enacted the Apple Pie tree story to Daddy using magnetic pom poms and Magnetic Tree cut outs.

For the Magnetic Tree parts:

Cereal cardboard box/poster board
Green Construction paper
Magnetic Tape

Cut out the Tree Trunk and Branches out of the cardboard. Attach a Magnetic tape to the wrong side of Cardboard


Cut leaves out of construction paper and Cardboard. Using glue stick, attach the green leaves to cardboard leaves. Cut thin lengths of magnetic tape and attach to the wrong side of leaves


Magnetic Apple tree parts ready! Now time to play!

For the Story Play:

Magnetic Pom poms
Cookie Tray/Cookie Boxes
Magnetic Apple tree leaves and trunk

In the Winter, Our Apple Tree is Brown and Bare


In Spring, Leaves grow on Every Branch


Our Tree, is covered with Blossoms


In Summer, the Green Apples get bigger and Bigger


Now it is Autumn, The Apples are red and Ready to be picked


We fill our basket to the brim


Our tree has grown an apple pie! It smells so good!


Winter Scene: We used the Magnetic Tree trunk and the white magnetic pom poms for snow


Spring with leaves growing: Green magnetic leaves and Tree


Spring with Blossoms: We didn't have many pink magnetic pom poms, So it was CJ's idea to add pink alphabet magnets as Blossoms. She wanted it to be colorful so she added other color pom poms too.

Summer- Green Apples: Same as Spring!

Autumn - Red apples ready to pick: Red Magnetic pom poms, Magnetic tree

WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD -- Small parts and Magnets. Not for children under 3 yrs.

Oops! Did I forget the Apple pie? Stay tuned for the Apple pie Recipe!