Pies Are Awesome: The Definitive Pie Art Book: Step-by-Step Designs for All Occasions by Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin is currently scheduled for release on November 23 2001. The pie art projects in this book are centered around some of our most popular and cherished celebrations in the hopes that they will encourage you to develop your own tasty new traditions with friends and family. The ample step-by-step photos take you through Jessica’s easy-to-follow, groundbreaking pie art techniques, while the writing style encourages experimentation and creative discovery. From decorative patterns to more elaborate themes, the pie art designs in this book, ranging from easy to difficult, for novice and experienced bakers alike, include amazing-looking and -tasting pies to celebrate Birthdays (children and adults)Weddings, Baby Showers, New Year’s Eve/Day, Super Bowl, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Pi Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Bastille Day, Diwali, Halloween, Day of the Dead, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas. The book also includes tricks for working with your own tried-and-true dough recipes and store-bought dough; modifications to personalize projects; and online resources for printable templates, pie communities, friendly challenges, and more.
Pies Are Awesome offers readers exactly what the title promises. The information and techniques are well described with easy to follow instructions. The tone of the writing is fun, occasionally geeky, and simply very personable. I liked that the author stressed the importance for certain steps or actions for success, they also encouraged creativity and trying things your own way to find out what works best to fit their own needs. They never seemed to take themselves too seriously or became condescending or superior in their writing tone, which sometimes happens in this type of book. As someone who enjoys baking and has always been a bit intimidated by dealing with pie crust in general, this book made the prospect both more and less intimidating at the same time. She made everything seem so doable, but the photographs of some of the completed pies are just so beautiful and complex that it still feels a bit daunting. If I do attempt some of this pie art, I think I will start with some of the simpler projects, like the Monster Mouth pie. I love that the author included encouragement ad inspiration for people to tackle this edible art for, and included resources for templates and further information to readers that want to explore the art and community involved in it if they so choose. 
