'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Review: The Cake

The animals are hungry. They want to make a cake. But what kind? So many to choose from! Bunny thinks it should be a carrot cake. Bear wants a fish cake. Dog wants a bone cake and monkey wants—you guessed it—banana.

But tiger thinks the cake should be chocolate (who wouldn’t?) and this causes a big problem. Monkey hates butter. you see. Bunny thinks eggs are disgusting. Dog hates sugar and flour makes bear feel sad. So what’s the compromise? A bone-banana-carrot-fish cake, of course!

Alas, this suggestion causes another problem … tiger thinks such a cake would be revolting and he tells his friends just that. That’s when things turn to custard.

This is a clever, funny book with icing-bright illustrations and lots of well-targeted kid humour. I love the faux, super sweet ending … just when you think the friends have healed their cake-encrusted rift and all is sweet and lovely, things quickly turn into an ending that made me laugh out loud.

A wonderful narrative for reading aloud to kids.

Title: The Cake
Author/Illustrator: Dorothée de Monfreid
Publisher: Gecko Press, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 4 July 2014
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781877579455
For ages: 3 - 5
Type: Picture Book