The Great Cake Bake [Hardcover]

Helen Ketteman (Author), Matt Collins (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005 | Age Level: 5 and up

When Mayor Fargenberg announced a cake-baking competition for the town's big Fourth of July celebration, Donna Rae Hadley started thinking. And as all of Danville knew, once Donna Rae got one of her big ideas, anything could happen.

Not just any cake would do for Donna Rae's entry. Of course it needed to taste wonderful. But her cake also needed all the drama of the Boston Tea Party. It needed to showcase patriotism, like the Statue of Liberty. It needed the pizzazz and excitement of Paul Revere's ride.

Even Mayor Fargenberg, who was secretly sweet on Donna Rae, could see a culinary disaster in the making. Bring your fork and your appetite to this spirited holiday bake-off, but don't forget your napkin. The cake will be flying.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–A young woman enters every contest that comes her way–usually with disastrous results. Determined to win her town's Fourth of July cake bake, she tries some of her ideas out on the mayor, but her replica of the Boston Tea Party spews liquid in his face and her Statue of Liberty cake explodes when he lights the torch. On the big day of the contest, she arrives with a huge and elaborate confection that re-creates the town of old Boston, complete with a cobblestone street. Dressed as Paul Revere, she mounts a horse and gingerly guides it onto the cake. Suddenly, the animal rears and her entry, along with all of the others, goes flying into the air. The matter is resolved when the mayor announces that he and Donna Rae are to be married and next year, she'll be a judge, not a contestant in the bake-off. With detail and humor, the richly hued illustrations capture the look and feel of small-town America in a not-so-distant past. The art and the folksy telling are like a cross between a county fair and The Music Man. Children may enjoy the silliness of the pictures but are unlikely to relate to the competition, the mayor's affections for Donna Rae, or the neat and tidy resolution.–Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Donna Rae makes an entire riverfront out of cake, with a harbor of tea, for the Fourth of July cake bake, but when she invites the mayor over for a preview, tea splashes everywhere. Undaunted, she constructs a Statue of Liberty cake, but when the mayor lights the torch, it explodes (and singes off his mustache). Her final cake construction is of the entire town of Boston, with Donna Rae herself as Paul Revere. It comes to an even more spectacular end, but the mayor proposes to Donna Rae, ensuring that she will be judge rather than contestant the following year. This lightly amusing tale takes place in a sort of generic mid-twentieth-century small town. Vivid colors and sharp, glossy edges give a hyperrealistic aura to the art. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802789501
• ISBN-13: 978-0802789501
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,633,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, July 15, 2007

By 

History_of_Art_Geek (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Cake Bake (Hardcover)

The Great Cake Bake is Matt Collins first picture book; yet, his work surpasses many veteran artists. His illustrations are vivid and polished, shiny is probably a better word. The expressions are animated, and comical. The illustrations are funny, and beg a second look. I also love the animal antics. On nearly every spread Donna Rae's cat and bunny rabbit appear in the scenes. Her pets are either peeking from behind a post, or struggling to get a better view. It's cute, and adds to the fun.

This is my first experience with a Helen Ketteman's work, and I must say I'm impressed. Ketteman's writing is humorous without over embellishing. She's description, yet the terminology is age appropriate. The book is recommended for children 5 to 8, which I think is appropriate as it takes about 5-minutes to read aloud. The author sets the scene, grabs the reader's attention, and keeps us interested until the end. This book has accompanied my 6-year old to bed every night in the last few weeks. He adores it.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great children's book, September 2, 2006

By 

Patricia Gent "Another book lover" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Cake Bake (Hardcover)

This book's illustrations are so well done and enjoyable, with lot's of background detail. They compliment the fun, lighthearted story perfectly. A book you will never be tired of reading!

5.0 out of 5 stars cute, July 6, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Cake Bake (Hardcover)

Donna Rae really wants to win the prize in the cake contest this year. She tries her hand a various cakes. She tests her cake out on the mayor. The first cake she bakes is a Boston Tea Party cake that end up spraying liquid all over the mayor. Then she bakes a Statue of Liberty cake that explodes when they light the torch. Her last cake is a replica of the old town of Boston. Find out the mayors plan to make sure Donna Rae is not in the contest next year!

What did you like or not like about the book?

The book is full of adventure. You never know what will happen next.

Would you recommend the book? Why or Why not?

Yes. It is a great book to read around the Fourth of July.