CAKE

A naïve cake’s first slice of birthday partying puts him in pastry peril.

Cake, an anthropomorphic yellow sponge cake with eyes, mouth, and appendages, sits reading in his living room when the unsigned invitation arrives: “You are invited to a party!” Filled with excitement, frosting, and a little uncertainty, the attendee-to-be makes it his mission to dress to impress his hosts. None of the accessories Cake tries on get the green light from his pet goldfish, Fish, so Cake slips away to the local hat shop in search of some more subtle flair. Alas, the merchandise is also missing that certain je ne sais quoi. In a last-ditch effort, the shop assistant (a penguin) disappears into the back to grab “just the thing” Cake needs: candles, icing, and a ribbon! Fish, upon eyeing the ensemble, approves wholeheartedly. Animals cheer when Cake finally arrives at the party and invite him to dance and play. But when the chorus of “Happy Birthday” starts and Cake’s candles get blown out, the party starts to take a different turn. Hendra and Linnet’s latest contributes another clever comedy to their oeuvre. The digitally rendered illustrations are bold and colorful, with cartoon figures set against patterned backgrounds. Careful readers will not only intuit Cake’s implied fate, but also notice the clues in the images that foreshadow the surprise ending.

A tasty confection iced with a (darkly) silly sense of humor.