Clever Jack Takes the Cake
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Take a bite out of this deliciously funny original fairy tale by a bestselling picture-book duo!What would you do if you were invited to the princess’s tenth birthday party but didn’t have money for a gift? Well, clever Jack decides to bake the princess a cake.Now he just has to get it to the castle in one piece. What could possibly go wrong?Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas, creators of the bestselling picture book Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, have teamed up again to bring us a modern fairy tale starring a determined boy and a story-loving princess with a good sense of humor. While girls will fall for a story featuring a princess’s birthday party, Jack’s adventures with trolls, bears, and gypsies make this the perfect read for young boys as well—and ideal for storytime.Children's LiteratureWhen poor young Jack is invited to the princess's tenth birthday party, his mother says he cannot go without a present. Determined to bake her a cake, Jack works hard to gather the ingredients. The resulting cake is beautiful, topped with a succulent strawberry. But on his way to the party, Jack is attacked by blackbirds, who carry away the walnuts that spelled "Happy Birthday." Next a troll demands a toll of half of the cake to cross his bridge. In a dark forest, Jack must burn all ten candles on the cake to get through. Distracted by a gypsy with a dancing bear, Jack loses the remaining cake to the bear who does, however, spit out the strawberry. Having only that left, Jack proceeds to the party, only to find that the princess is allergic to strawberries. But he finds a happy ending after all. This delightful tale begins and ends on the end pages; double-page scenes and vignettes show how it happens. Gouache and pencil produce a carefree, cartoon-y Jack and the many other characters who add to the texture of the story. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz
