The cupcake contest

Gr 1--4--Unicornia is a magical land of unicorns, and it's Unicornia's birthday! The soft pastel illustrations, featured on nearly every page, use only the dominant color from the book's cover, creating a dreamy aesthetic. For the celebration, there's a magical cupcake contest, and Claudia is determined to enter. She loves to bake--how different could magical baking be? But when bouncing butter won't stay in the bowl and foaming cream cheese frosting overflows the kitchen, she realizes she needs help. Sasha, a classmate with a knack for magical cookies, teams up with her to create the perfect recipe. The story is fun, well-paced, and full of inventive magical baking mishaps sure to get some giggles. While unicorn lovers may be disappointed by their minimal presence, the approachable sentence structure and engaging format make this ideal for early chapter book readers. VERDICT A fun, lighthearted read that will attract readers with "unicorn" in the title and keep them engaged with its magical theme and whimsical illustrations.