THE SUGAR PLUM BAKERS

Five bakerinas make international desserts to deliver around the world.

Magical helpers assist Sugar Plum and Mr. Gingerbread in their wintry cottage, baking and cooking for many festivals in countries all over the globe: Kwanzaa in the United States, Hanukkah in Israel, Lunar New Year in Indonesia, and Christmas in many places including the United States, Mexico, the Philippines, Cuba, Brazil, the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands, Spain, and Germany. There is a slight, though perhaps overly sweet, story here. Rosevine, Peablossom, Moonrider, and Kai happily work together, but Echo is always doing his own thing. He uses his “fairy zing” to improve the Kwanzaa benne wafers but forgets to grease the pan for the Spanish turron. He eventually saves the day when a blizzard rages and the usual vehicle (unseen) can’t fly. Characters have different skin tones; Echo is brown-skinned. Though wings are mentioned, they aren’t seen on any of the characters. Formatting inconsistencies detract: Small flags labeled with each delicacy appear in the busy, colorful digital illustrations, with country names inserted nearby, but sometimes that information is not available until the backmatter section “About the Treats.” Disappointingly, only one recipe, for brigadeiros (Brazilian chocolate balls), is provided. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A little too saccharine.