WILLIAMS, Ken (text) Karen Erasmus (illus.) Annabel’s Chewy-Gooey Birthday Cake JoJo Pub, 2014 unpaged $16.99 pbk ISBN 9780987607782 SCIS 1674015
Annabel is a demanding, adored and indulged child. Therefore, when she demands the biggest best cake for her birthday party, her mother is bound to find it. Little knowing what lies ahead, off they go to Chef Pierre’s Chocolate Emporium for a taste test. Chef Pierre is famous, talented, inventive, likes a challenge and is Oh! so French in his immaculate chef’s uniform, with his twirling moustache and his ever-more elaborate recipes. Annabel, however proves very hard to please, and as the activity in the Chocolate Emporium revs up and cake after cake is rejected as ‘too plain’, an admiring crowd of onlookers stop to marvel at Pierre’s energetic determination and creativity. But will he be able to satisfy Annabel?
Repetition and rhythm will encourage audience participation as the list of cake ingredients grows and the mixing becomes more frantic. There is fun in the language and in the illustrations as the obnoxious Annabel grows increasingly dishevelled, Pierre more frenzied, the mother more distracted and the crowd more amazed. The attractive design echoes the increasingly fraught action in the exclusive bakery. A mud cake recipe that sounds very good is included.
reviewed by Joy Steward
