Enemy Pie Book Review & A Friendship Lesson
Inside: Need a friendship lesson for your grade? The Enemy Pie book is more than just a read-aloud. It’s a clever, heartwarming story with a life lesson that helps kids rethink enemies and build meaningful connections. A classroom favorite for teaching empathy, inclusion, and conflict resolution.
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to explore friendship, empathy, and problem-solving with your students, Enemy Pie is a must-read. This lovely picture book by Derek Munson has a playful but powerful lesson about judging others and the surprising path to turning an enemy into a friend.
It’s ideal for classroom read-alouds, social-emotional learning (SEL), and building a caring classroom culture.
Title: Enemy Pie
Author: Derek Munson
Illustrator: Tara King
Age group: 4 - 10 years
Theme: Friendship, Problem-Solving, Bullying, Judgement, Respect
Enemy Pie : (Reading Rainbow Book, Children s Book about Kindness, Kids Books about Learning) Key Takeaways from This Post
- A quick summary of Enemy Pie and its core friendship message
- Insights into how the story supports social-emotional learning (SEL)
- Practical ideas for using the book in classroom discussions about empathy, inclusion, and conflict resolution
- Suggestions for classroom activities that extend the story and deepen connection
- A free printable poster and coloring page to reinforce the lesson visually
- Tips for using the book at different times of year (start of school, new student transitions, Pi Day, etc.)
- A warm, relatable resource that helps kids rethink “enemies” and build lasting friendships
What is Enemy Pie About
Enemy Pie is a wonderful picture story book for young children who struggle with friendship issues or feelings of exclusion.
It's a heartwarming and engaging story that's narrated by the main character, a young boy who has a problem with the new kid who moved into the neighborhood.
The story delivers a powerful lesson about friendship and the importance of not jumping to conclusions about people before you know them.
More...
Enemy Pie Summary
The narrator (a young boy) is looking forward to a great summer until Jeremy Ross moves into the neighborhood.
After a few unfriendly encounters, like laughing at him when he struck him out at baseball and not inviting him to his trampoline party, Jeremy Ross becomes the first person on the boy's "enemy list".
After talking to his dad about his problem, things take an unexpected turn. Dad says he has a sure-fire but secret way of getting rid of enemies. Baking an Enemy Pie!!
The boy is excited by the prospect of his enemy's hair falling out or his breath turning bad but there's more to the secret plan than just pie! His Dad says the key to the plan is that he had to spend the entire day playing with Jeremy if he wanted to get him off his enemy list!
After a surprisingly fun day hanging out with Jeremy, the boys go inside to have dinner. As Dad serves up the much-anticipated enemy pie, his son starts to panic. He has to stop Jeremy from eating the pie and being poisoned or something because he's actually not that bad after all!
After dinner, Jeremy invites his new friend to his house to play on his trampoline the next morning and the boy realizes that he's just lost his best enemy!
Listen to Camryn Manheim read Enemy Pie in this wonderful Storyline video.
Enemy Pie Lessons
I love how relatable and fun this book is, even for adults. We've all had times when we've jumped to conclusions about someone, thinking they didn't like us or they were a bad person. We've based our judgement on a few impersonal interactions without really getting to know them, just as the boy did with Jeremy.
It also highlights the importance of being assertive when making friends or wanting to be included in activities. Kids can't always take it for granted that someone's going to invite them to play. Sometimes they have to step outside their comfort zone and approach the other person.
Spending the day with Jeremy gave the boy the time he needed to discover they actually had a lot in common and that Jeremy was a pretty nice guy.
The main lesson is a good one: the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make them your friend!
Enhance Your Lesson with This Enemy Pie Activity Pack
An SEL kit with Enemy Pie activities and printables, including lesson plans, worksheets, and crafts to use with the read-aloud by Derek Munson.
What Teachers on TPT are Saying:
I used this lesson with a 4th grade class that has been having issues with peers and it worked wonderfully.
The Bilingual School Counselor - 4th Grade
As a reminder at the end of the school year to be kind I did a bonus guidance lesson using this resource. Very helpful and great conversations were sparked from the ideas given. I will be using it regularly!
Kaitlyn M - 3rd Grade
I love how you can easily adjust the activities for each grade level.
Shelley A -
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades
How to Use Enemy Pie in the Classroom
This book opens the door to rich discussions and creative activities. It’s a wonderful tool for building community and addressing unkind behavior in the classroom.
This is a must-have book for your classroom as it tackles important and very real issues around kindness, friendship, and respect.
Share Your Favorite Friendship Book
I love books with powerful lessons. If you’ve used one in your classroom that your students loved, please email me to share your review. I’d love to feature it!
Updated: September 8th, 2025
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AUTHOR: Lisa Currie - Ripple Kindness Project
For over a decade, I've focused on promoting kindness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in elementary classrooms. Through hands-on experience supporting students, I've seen how empathy and respect are vital for creating harmonious, inclusive environments. I'm passionate about helping students understand the impact of their emotions and actions on their relationships. I believe kindness is fundamental to fostering self-confidence and happiness while building inclusive, safe classroom communities that discourage bullying and exclusion.