From Publishers Weekly
Sarah is planning to surprise her mother by baking her first cake, and she collects ingredients and baking tips from local storekeepers, who are Holocaust survivors. In a starred review, PW said, "The portrayal of a child frightened of raising demons from the past is very real and intelligently drawn." Ages 5-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-Eight-year-old Sarah, preparing to bake her first cake-a surprise for her mother's birthday-shops for the ingredients. Each shopkeeper gives her a baking tip, playfully warning her not to forget the secret. Her last stop is Singer's Grocery, a store run by Holocaust survivors. Sarah cannot keep from staring at the numbers tattooed on their arms. As Mrs. Singer leads the child into the kitchen where she has invited her to bake, she tells her that the numbers are not a secret and that no one should ever forget them. She also gives the girl a little baking tip-to kiss the pan-and tells her a sweet story about her youth. At last, with her cake in hand, Sarah heads home with Mrs. Singer issuing one final reminder: "Be sure to tell your Mama you made this cake by yourself." This is a lighthearted, old-fashioned story with a repeating chorus that children will love. Rand's painterly illustrations perfectly capture the postwar neighborhood and Sarah's pleasure in making her present. However, the serious Holocaust element seems out of sync with the rest of the "don't forgets." While David Adler's The Number on My Grandfather's Arm (UAHC, 1987) treats this topic more appropriately, Sarah's story is still a charming one.
Marcia Posner, Federation of New York and the Jewish Book Council, New York CityCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
