Nice Try, Charlie!

A mysterious pie is the catalyst in this quirky Canadian story that follows Charlie, a pale, bearded fellow who wears a pickle-colored 10-gallon hat and “finds things to do with the things that he finds.” When Charlie spies a pie in a box, Aunt Myrtle, a Black bespectacled wheelchair user, cautions him to find its owner instead of eating it. So Charlie dutifully sets off with his cart in tow, asking various neighbors—including a brown-skinned basketball player named Margaret, an untalented white tuba player named Malcolm, and even a group of birds—if the pie belongs to them. When Charlie cannot find the owner, Aunt Myrtle rallies the community to share the sweet treat. Engaging illustrations of the cityscape, rendered in acrylic, gouache, and ink and supplemented by cut paper, photographs, and more, provide dimensional elements amid speech-balloon-festooned pages. Though the pie’s dubious edibility may raise questions, the compassionate, inclusive community and Charlie’s winsome persistence are highlights in an otherwise lean book. Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]