Pajama Press

“Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5

What did you like about the book? It’s time to bake! A little girl is going to show her little brother how. Aprons, big bowl, measuring cups, spoons and ingredients. Very expressive digitally created watercolor illustrations accompanied by very large bold typeface create a very endearing story….

To whom would you recommend this book? It would be really fun if a child were baking with a parent to read it while the cupcakes are baking.”
—Katrina Yurenka, Moderator, Youth Services Book Review

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“Told in simple text by Theo Heras, charmingly illustrated on every page by Renne Benoit, and delivered in a sturdy, padded cover with stronger pages that are perfect for little hands, Baby Cakes…is especially recommended for children ages 1 to 3, making it appropriate for family, daycare center, preschool, and community library collections.”

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“Rating: E…Young children will be eager to try out baking in the kitchen after reading this sweet [padded cover] book. Baby Cakes is written in simple and accessible language, and delivered in a sturdy format for young hands. Recipes are included as well as lots of admonitions for baking with an adult.

For both children and adults, Renné Benoit’s adroit and totally appealing illustrations of childhood are another treat and she perfectly captures the fleeting nature of these small familiar moments of curious children… and cats!…[T]his is great for a public library or a parent/grandparent who likes to bake.”

Thematic Links: Baking
—Anne Letain

Read the full review on page 6 of the December 2017 issue of Resource Links Magazine

“…when I’d recently read Iris Baby Cakes, by Theo Heras and Renne Benoit, she’d declared, ‘That’s such a good book, Mommy.’ Mostly because she’s obsessed with cupcakes, but still. Plus there was a recipe for cupcakes in the endpapers; I said, ‘We’ve got to make these.’ And so on Saturday night, we did.

This book would make a great Christmas gift from 3-5-year-olds. With simple vocabulary, a brother and sister work together to make cupcakes (with the unhelpful assistance of their pet cat). The story lists the equipment necessary—‘Here are a big bowl and measuring cups and spoons.’—and goes through the recipe, ‘Sprinkle salt, but not too much.’ And ‘Creaming the butter is hard work.’ And is it ever! The recipe inside makes for a nice extension of the book, bringing the story to life and inspiring the reader to try something new. That the brother and sister in the story bake together without the help of grown-ups (except for with the oven) inspires independence. Plus, the cupcakes were delicious.”

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“This picture book shows a young child and the family cat helping mom make cupcakes….The illustrations are cute and everyone looks like they are having fun. It’s a nice idea for kids who like to help in the kitchen….[T]here has been much discussion of late of more children’s books where the children can see themselves in the books they read, requiring more diverse characters in kids’ books, especially where the characters are just themselves without commentary on race or ethnicity and I was pleased to see this book as a great example of filling that need.”

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“PreS-Gr 1–The toddlers who starred in Hat On, Hat Off are now preparing cupcakes in the kitchen….Benoit offers a wide variety of perspectives so readers can see the way the batter looks in a big bowl, while on another page, the younger boy’s eyes barely peek over the top of the baking tin. Recipes for chocolate cupcakes and vanilla frosting appear on the endpapers. VERDICT This brief story will go over well in a storytime with a cooking theme. A sweet treat that’s sure to please.”
—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Read the full review in the October 2017 issue of School Library Journal

“The declarative, sometimes imperative text is as straightforward as a recipe…The children have straight black hair and brown skin; Mommy, visible only as a pair of hands lifting Kitty away from the flour, also has brown skin. Although she is in the kitchen, the focus is on the children’s activities, and the use of low-tech tools—they cream the butter by hand, hence the ‘hard work’—ensures that they can be active participants rather than bystanders….Benoit’s art features distinct outlines, rounded figures, and soft colors—the mutual affection is apparent on every page. A recipe for success.”

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“The little boy’s expressive face fills many spreads, looking content while licking sugar from his fingers, or inquisitive while big sister creams butter in a bowl. This pleasant book makes baking look like so much fun that kiddos are likely to be inspired to try to help out in the kitchen.”
—Sarah Hunter

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