The bakery dragon and the fairy cake

PreS-Gr 3--In a second story about Ember the dragon, he's still a natural baker and is very generous with sharing his creations. Then he is called on to make a new sort of cake, and Ember is flummoxed. It seems that Princess Turnip needs a birthday cake but Ember has never made one. Princess Turnip gives vague instructions; round and yellow, sweet and flat, layered with candles and flowers on top. Still, Ember can't get it right. Finally, Princess Turnip helps Ember find a recipe and the party is a great success. This, like the first book about Ember, wants to be more than a book about baking. There's a minor lesson on friendship and another about accepting help from others, as well as learning from the mistakes one's made. The illustrations are highly detailed and most have a golden hue enhancing the fairy-tale feeling. VERDICT Readers will enjoy this easygoing but slight story about perseverance and friendship.--Melisa Bailey

Ember the dragon is tasked with preparing a special dessert under a tight deadline. Ember has been enjoying his job working with light-skinned human Beatrice in her bakery. Ember's a natural, whipping up sumptuous golden loaves. One day, Beatrice leaves Ember in charge while she makes deliveries. A demand comes in from the tiny vegetable fairy Princess Turnip: to whip up a cake for the fairy queen's birthday. Ember's never heard of "'birthday cake' bread," but he does his best. His concoctions displease Princess Turnip, but with some encouragement from the princess--and a recipe from the library--Ember makes a lovely, golden, two-tiered cake with rosettes and candles. After delivering his creation to the delighted fairy queen, Ember returns to the bakery feeling newly inspired, filling the store with cakes and showing Beatrice and the customers a new offering. Like our protagonist's first outing,The Bakery Dragon (2024), this one features captivating artwork. The bakery is awash in golden tones, evoking the magic of a fairy tale. With big, expressive eyes, red-winged Ember is as adorable as ever. The newly introduced princess appears to be a sentient vegetable--her dress and hair are leafy greens, while her arms and legs are formed from the root. The message to try new things, even if you fail at first, is a meaningful one, clear enough without verging on heavy-handedness. Sumptuous illustrations help this sweet lesson in perseverance go down easy.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.