Tag temptation

Dylan the Baker

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Dylan the Baker
Guy Parker Rees
Alison Green Books

Dylan the exuberant stripy dog is back once again and this time we join him as he dons a chef’s hat and apron ready to bake a birthday cake – his favourite extra special Choccy-Banana one for his pal Jolly Otter.

The trouble is that right from when those wonderful baking smells start wafting from the oven, Dylan’s tum starts to rumble.

Trying not to eat the yummy cake becomes Dylan’s major preoccupation as he removes it from the oven, leaves it on the table and dashes outside to distract himself.

It’s there that his friends Purple Puss and Titchy Chick find him and they too join Dylan in the not-eating-cake activities. First it’s head-standing, then spinning around in the woods,

followed by swinging and a host of other games; the problem being that before long Dylan isn’t the only one suffering from tummy rumbles and super salivation.

Will Jolly Otter get even so much as a sniff of his birthday cake when three friends all have an irresistible urge to sink their teeth into the delicious confection?

Look out for Dotty Bug, another of Dylan’s pals who pops up on every spread encouraging listeners to join in with this fun story. And fun it certainly is especially as the anticipation builds with those ‘Rumbly-tumbly- grumbly GRUM tummies, not to mention Dylan’s song to sing along with; and the final twist in the baking bonanza is entirely satisfying.

 

Moreover, if you fancy trying some of Dylan’s cake, he’s been kind enough to include a recipe at the end of his story.

Chocolate Cake

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Chocolate Cake
Michael Rosen and Kevin Waldron
Puffin Books

I can’t possibly imagine how many times I shared Michael Rosen’s Chocolate Cake poem from Quick Let’s Get Out of Here during my time as a primary teacher; it was certainly the most requested poem with countless classes and always an ideal offering to have at the ready when working in an advisory capacity. So to learn it was to be published in picture book format with Kevin Waldron supplying the illustrations was very exciting.
The poem itself is sheer genius telling of a little boy who just cannot get out of his mind the scrumptious chocolate cake he’s sampled earlier in the day and, knowing that there’s a considerable chunk still downstairs, cannot resist its temptation.
He creeps out of bed (ensuring he misses the creaky floorboard outside his parents’ bedroom) and downstairs into the kitchen. There, in the cupboard, is the object of his desire …

Out it comes and he notices there just happen to be some crumbs, and that the cake itself needs a spot of tidying up …

until things get just a tad out of control …

Such are the agonising details  used to relate the whole experience, that we’re right in that child’s head as he’s overwhelmed by desire, and we’re desperately wanting him not to get caught – which of course he does, although not until the following morning.
Oh dear, the embarrassment, the humiliation …

Kevin Waldron brilliantly captures all the subterfuge, the suspense and the final priceless denouement in his deliciously funny scenes, every one of which will leave you spluttering with delight.
If the whole thing doesn’t get your taste buds all a-tingling, then nothing will.

I Really Want the Cake

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I Really Want the Cake
Simon Philip and Lucia Gaggiotti
Templar Publishing

Now here’s a lip-smacker of a book guaranteed to make your salivary glands go into over-drive.
Who can resist that wonderful aroma of a fresh from the oven chocolate cake?
The little girl narrator of this story really has my sympathies when she follows the delicious smell emanating from the kitchen and discovers a totally yummy-looking confection just sitting there waiting to be tasted.

The trouble is though, her mum has left a warning note ‘YOU MUST NOT EAT THIS CAKE’. There’s no ambiguity about that, so the whole deliciously tempting chocolate cake must quite simply be forgotten.
Easier said than done though and the temptation proves too much for the young miss who, after holding back for a while, then finds herself drawn by an irresistible longing, back to object of her desire. What else could she do but sample the thing?
But then, the lick gives way to a bite, which turns into a slice and …

Oops! No cake!
Still a replacement shouldn’t be much of a challenge, surely?

Simon Philip’s tasty rhythmic, rhyming tale slips so smoothly from the tongue making it a great read aloud. Combined with Lucia Gaggiotti’s high energy, laugh-out-loud illustrations of chocolate cake and calamity, the whole thing becomes a scrumptious treat to serve up to young listeners. (I love the way the narrator takes on a variety of personas as she grapples with her conscience.)
If my experience is anything to go by extra servings will be immediately demanded.
There’s even a recipe for chocolate cake on the final page – mmmm!

I’ve signed the charter  

The Cave

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The Cave
Rob Hodgson
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Inside a cave there is a ‘little creature’: the cave is his home. Outside the cave is another creature: the cave is not his home, but his heart is set on getting the troglodyte to come out and join him. “I’m sure we’d be VERY good friends.” he says encouragingly. The little creature refuses to budge.
This goes on day after day, after day. Boredom isn’t an issue for the little creature despite what the lupine outsider says. “Only boring creatures get bored” is the response of the cave-dweller. Time passes and with neither animal giving way…

come wind or rain … it’s situation impasse.

Then one day in desperation, the creature without lets slip the words, “I’m getting hungry now!” then quickly amends the ‘I’m’ to ‘YOU’. This results in an admission of slight hunger from the little creature within, whereupon a deliciously tempting doughnut, complete with sprinkles, is proffered. This confection proves irresistible and the ‘Little Creature’ emerges. To say what happens next would make me a story spoiler but I can reveal that the doughnut disappears and there’s a new resident in the cave.
An absolutely splendid debut for Rob Hodgson. There is just SO much to love about this book.
The illustrations are scrumptious with delectable details chronicling, in addition to the main action or rather lack of it for the most part, Wolf’s total disregard for little creatures such as worm, snail and slug, that play silent bit parts throughout.

Hodgson’s text in contrast, is spare, and plays in perfect harmony with his visuals. A super read aloud: you’ll have children squirming in eager anticipation throughout and they’re sure to demand at least one encore performance.

I’ve signed the charter  

Nanette’s Baguette

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Nanette’s Baguette
Mo Willems
Walker Books
How many words can you think of that rhyme with baguette? Probably not all that many, but the amazing Mo Willems manages to construct a whole story using them and its one that’s enormous fun to read aloud.
Who can resist a chunk of freshly baked bread? Certainly not young Nanette but that’s getting ahead of the story. Nanette is sent on a shopping errand to fetch the family’s baguette: ‘getting to get the baguette is Nanette’s biggest responsibility yet.’ No pressure there then, and she’s certainly all set.

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En route the young frog, (frogs and the allusion Français may go over the heads of many listeners but will be appreciated by adult mediators of the tale) encounters a number of distractions; there’s Georgette, Suzette and with his clarinet, is Bret; and there’s Mr Barnett with pet Antoinette …

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But eager to fulfil her mission, Nanette presses on and duly arrives at her destination where she is served by Baker Juliette, with the very best baguette.

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What a deliciously alluring aroma emanates from said baguette – a pretty large one after all’s said and done. Then KRACK! That’s Nanette sampling her wonderful, warm purchase. Naturally – well wouldn’t you – Nanette takes bite after bite until, disaster: no more baguette!
A jet to Tibet – would that save her from Mum’s wrath? But no; she decides to return home and face the consequences of her actions.
There follows a wonderful twist – seemingly it’s not only Nanette who finds baguettes totally irresistible.
Willems places his characters in a cleverly constructed diorama shown on the title page …

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and Nanette’s antics are, oh so expressively portrayed, in brightly coloured vignettes, the whole thing being orchestrated by the variety of fonts used.
Extra servings are sure to be the order of the day when this is presented to young audiences – it certainly was with several of mine. In a word, a KRACKER!

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