CARLA AND THE TIN CAN CAKE PARTY

TV personality and Top Chef contestant Hall tells the story of two imaginative youngsters enjoying a stay at their grandparents’ home.

As soon as Carla and Kim arrive, an elaborate game of dress-up and make-believe begins. Carla, who shares a first name with the book’s author, narrates as the pigtailed, Black-presenting siblings raid an old chest and dress to the nines in Granny’s most elegant dresses, her most ornate purses, and her big, floppy hats. Granny and Doc encourage their “dearies” as they traipse through the house in oversize clothes, inviting everyone to a tea party that promises to be fancy and fabulous. Carla grabs Granny’s quilt for a tablecloth and uses an empty can of pears to cut smaller, circular pieces out of Granny’s pound cake. When Granny sees the mess Carla’s made, a scolding seems imminent, but Granny smiles and offers a few words of wisdom: “Sometimes, showing off can get in the way of what makes something truly special.” She then helps Carla prepare a delectable dessert—one with love baked in. Hall’s narration is infused with loving tenderness, paired with Harris’ lively artwork. In the acrylic and digital ink illustrations, the intricate patterns of the quilt pop as brightly as precocious Carla’s rouged cheeks. The lesson about taking one’s time and planning carefully will go down as easily as Granny’s lemon ginger tin can cakes (a recipe is appended).

A festive treat of a story.