Bunny Cakes (Max and Ruby) (Hardcover)

by Rosemary Wells (Author, Illustrator) "It was Grandma's birthday..." (more)
Key Phrases: Red-Hot Marshmallow Squirters

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
It's kitchen chaos as Wells's beloved Max and Ruby become bunnies who bake. Max and Ruby each have grand plans for Grandma's birthday cake. Max envisions an earthworm cake with caterpillar frosting and "Red-Hot Marshmallow Squirters" on top. Ruby, however, insists on an "angel surprise cake with raspberry-fluff icing." Max tries his best to help his bossy older sister but, as always, winds up making a mess. After spilling the milk or breaking the eggs, Max is repeatedly dispatched to the store with Ruby's neatly printed list of ingredients, all the while trying to figure out how to convey his own request to the grocer. Wells's (My Very First Mother Goose) ink-and-watercolor world is cheery as ever here, replete with a cozy, '50s-esque kitchen and friendly neighborhood market. She accurately captures the prickliness of sibling exchanges ("There's a yellow line on the floor, Max," says Ruby when Max returns with a replacement bottle of milk. "You can't step over that line"). Hapless Max maintains a happy-go-lucky demeanor in any situation, a shining example of patience and perseverance. And when it comes to the interplay between pared-down text and eventful illustrations, Wells, quite simply, takes the cake. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1. Undaunted Max and bossy Ruby, rabbit siblings, make the perfect cakes for grandmother's birthday. A confectionary delight, with layers of laughter.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Dial (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803721439
• ISBN-13: 978-0803721432
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,080,219 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of a determined pre-literate bunny in plaid pants., August 3, 1998

By A Customer

I happened upon "Bunny Cakes" by accident about a week ago. I picked it up and read it just to pass a few idle moments, but I ended up laughing out loud, and I've chuckled about it every day since. I was unfamiliar with Max and Ruby before I saw the book, but they have instantly become two of my favorite children's book characters (Max especially). "Bunny Cakes" accurately depicts the rivalry between a bossy (but patient) older sister, and a younger brother who's determined to make a statement in the world that he's just beginning to comprehend. Clad in a sharp pair of plaid overalls, Max makes repeated trips to the grocer (red wagon in tow) to make up for his unwitting disruptions of Ruby's cake-making project, and to get the perfect ingredients for his own earthworm cake: red-hot marshmallow squirters. Although even his most beautiful handwriting is incomprehensible to the rest of the world, Max relies on his ingenuity to finally succeed in communi! cating with the grocer. The illustrations are adorable--especially those that depict the wide-eyed innocence on Max's face as he wordlessly stares up at the grocer, hoping the man will understand his scribbled request for red-hot marshmallow squirters. But don't be fooled by Max's innocent look. He's one determined bunny. He gets what he needs and he makes sure Ruby doesn't steal the spotlight at grandma's birthday party.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful from beginning to end, July 12, 2006

By	debrajrj (South Dakota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bunny Cakes (Max and Ruby) (Paperback)

As a parent, this may very well be my favorite bedtime story. Don't judge the book based on the TV show-- it is much better! Max and Ruby are making birthday cakes for Grandma. Max is making an earthworm cake but Ruby wants to make an angel surprise cake with rasbery fluff frosting. Despite Ruby's increasingly restrictive instructions, Max keeps knocking her ingredients off the table, and Ruby keeps sending him to the store with a shopping list for replacements. Max wants red hot marshmellow squirters to top off his cake, and his attempts to communicate this to the grocer make up the heart of the story.

The illustrations are delightful and are cleverly incorporated as part of the story. My 3 year old loves this book, and believe it or not he gets tired of it before I do!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Max as always finds a way to get what he wants-a great book!, August 1, 2000

By	Suzanne Amara (MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The charm of the Max and Ruby books owes much to the fact that many of us have had an older sibling or friend like Ruby---she knows more, is able to do more and wants to be in charge, but Max always finds a way to get what he wants! This book also explores the mystery of writing, and made my older son eager to learn to write---and I think writing is a topic less stressed in picture books than reading. Everyone should have a grandma like Max and Ruby, someone who will love both edible and inedible cakes equally! As always, Wells is wonderful!