Review by Booklist Review
Things get heated when "warm and open" newcomer Pie steals the spotlight from "eggstraordinary" pal Cake, "the kind of friend that everyone celebrated." When Pie arrives, Cake brings Pie into the fold, only to be burned when Pie becomes hot stuff among their food friends. "I've been desserted," Cake laments. Cake declares a food fight and gets whipped into shape. When the two dish it out in the ring, tensions escalate among the crowd, and sprinkles start flying. In a tidy resolution, Cake and Pie patch things up between them because "being together is the sweetest thing!" Bardhan-Quallen (Chicks Rock!, 2021) brings plenty of picture-book experience to the table with witty wordplay and baking references that are layered thick throughout the humorous friendship story. Stilwell (What's for Breakfast?, 2021) lends her expertise illustrating wide-eyed, anthropomorphized food, and the satisfying product of this creative pairing should appeal to readers who gobble up books by Laurie Keller and Jory John. A sweet and pun-filled story like this can be tough to beat for storytimes and read-alouds.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In zippy text and dialogue written almost entirely in food puns, Bardhan-Quallen (the Purrmaids series) serves up the tale of a deliciously silly rivalry between flavorful friends Cake and Pie, who each want to be deemed the sweetest dessert around. Universally adored Cake eagerly introduces new-treat-on-the-block Pie to everyone, only to learn that Pie really loves the limelight ("Yes, I know--I am quite a dish!"). After Pie is named Toast of the Town, makes an on-fire appearance at the Cherry Jubilee, and turns braggart, Cake, feeling crushed, declares a food fight to finally settle the matter of who's top tier. A crack team--Brownie, Croissant, Cupcake, Danish, and Waffle--are in Cake's corner as a black-and-white cookie referee calls "Leeeet's get ready to cruuumble!" and the battle of the baked goods begins. The aftermath of a full-fledged food battle finds Cake and Pie patching things up and realizing that their friendship is the sweetest thing of all. Alongside the nonstop punning, Stilwell (A Pizza My Heart) renders an amusingly dizzying parade of bright, big-eyed anthropomorphic snacks cracking wise that play into a light friendship story about resolving conflict. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Rachel Orr, Prospect Agency. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--All's well in the shop as everyone--croissants, cupcakes, brownies, caramel apples, ice cream sandwiches, cookies, doughnuts, etc.--gets along well with one other. However, once Pie moves in, everything changes for Cake who up to this point has been "top tier." The two are friends at first and Cake happily introduces Pie to everyone. Pie soaks up all the praise from her new acquaintances and it quickly goes to her head. She is soon convinced that "I am quite the dish" and a dejected Cake slinks away feeling as if she's "been desserted." The competition to be "flavor of the month" soon leads to a battle which involves all the sweets in the shop. Paper, ink, and digital combine in illustrations filled with detail, color, activity, and speech bubbles galore that burst with food puns and expressions. Due to the intricate details in the desserts and the ongoing conversations, this tale should be shared one-on-one so the pictures can be scrutinized. VERDICT Clever wordplay and detailed illustrations keep this animated tale moving along at a fast pace to delight readers with a scrumptious tale of friendship.--Maryann H. Owen
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
"Leeeet's get ready to crumble!" Cake is an amazing friend--"eggs-traordinary" and "one in a melon," as the other foods put it. No one measures up to Cake. Until Pie moves in. Pie, a joker, is "warm and open" (literally--check out their lattice top crust). Cake and Pie become friends, and in no time everyone loves Pie, but Cake realizes that Pie craves attention. Soon Pie becomes the flavor of every month. Feeling "desserted," Cake challenges Pie to a Food Fight. Before stepping into the ring with Pie, Cake asks Danish, Waffle, Brownie, and others for a makeover. They have lots of suggestions--maybe Cake should be Carrot Cake or Coffee Cake? In the end, Danish says, "Just be yourself," and Cake agrees…though they decide to add a few layers and embellishments. But when Cake and Pie enter the ring, Cake's tiers topple onto Pie. Soon another type of food fight ensues as the onlookers begin hurling whipped cream, sauce, and more at one another. Cake regrets their jealousy, and Pie admits they should have swallowed their pride. Together, they pick up the pieces and put things right. Bardhan-Quallen leans heavily on the food puns, but she also offers a sound lesson about compromise and the art of friendship. Stilwell's delightfully expressive cartoons depict cookies, popsicles, strawberries, and more, all with round eyes and stick-figure limbs. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sweet story with an important message that goes down easily. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
