Cupcake

by Charise Mericle Harper (Author) Charise Mericle Harper (Illustrator)

Cupcake
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Poor Vanilla Cupcake. He's feeling a bit drab next to his fancy brothers and sisters. But when his new pal, Candle, comes along with some fresh ideas, the two hatch a plan to become the snazziest duo ever found on a plate!

With an undeniably adorable hero and eye-catching design, Cupcake is sure to appeal to the sweet tooth in young readers everywhere.

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Hardcover
$14.99

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Publishers Weekly

The plucky hero of this story may be a plain and white and "ordinary" cupcake, but Harper ("Fashion Kitty") shows she's no fan of vanilla endings, leaving unresolved the conflict she sets up in the beginning. Cupcake is convinced that his relativesHappy-Face Cupcake, Pink Princess Cupcake, and othershave more pizzazz than he does, until he meets a candle with the same problem and a bright idea. Harper's black-outlined cartoon characters appear on sparsely decorated, pastel pages to cheery effect, but it's the line-drawn facial expressions that provide most of the action. Cupcake reacts to the screwy toppings Candle brings him with appropriate horror and dubious smiles, as he is sprinkled with spaghetti, pancakes, and smelly cheese. The plot continues to focus on Cupcake's problemCandle even apologizes for not being able to find him something specialbut the gag ending doesn't go where some readers may suspect it's headed. After Candle retrieves a nut that a squirrel left in Cupcake's frosting, Candle stands tall atop the cupcake and delivers a closing zinger: Hey, wait a minute.... Tomorrow, let's try celery! Ages 2-6. "(Jan.)"

Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Review quotes

The plucky hero of this story may be a "plain and white and ordinary" cupcake, but Harper (Fashion Kitty) shows she's no fan of vanilla endings, leaving unresolved the conflict she sets up in the beginning. Cupcake is convinced that his relatives-Happy-Face Cupcake, Pink Princess Cupcake, and others-have more pizzazz than he does, until he meets a candle with the same problem and a bright idea. Harper's black-outlined cartoon characters appear on sparsely decorated, pastel pages to cheery effect, but it's the line-drawn facial expressions that provide most of the action. Cupcake reacts to the screwy toppings Candle brings him with appropriate horror and dubious smiles, as he is sprinkled with spaghetti, pancakes, and smelly cheese. The plot continues to focus on Cupcake's problem-Candle even apologizes for not being able to find him "something special"-but the gag ending doesn't go where some readers may suspect it's headed. After Candle retrieves a nut that a squirrel left in Cupcake's frosting, Candle stands tall atop the cupcake and delivers a closing zinger: "Hey, wait a minute.... Tomorrow, let's try celery!" PW"
Charise Mericle Harper

Charise Mericle Harper is the award-winning author and illustrator of numerous children's books and series, including the Just Grace series, the Fashion Kitty series, and the Next Best Junior Chef series. Harper's signature wit, kid-friendly illustrations, and wholly original style have made her a familiar name with caregivers, educators, and librarians looking for books that encourage imagination and showcase art education. Charise lives with her family and furry pets in Portland, Oregon.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781423118978
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
January 01, 2010
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV000000 - Juvenile Fiction | General
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Self-esteem
Cupcakes

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