“There’s an energy and visual humour to your story that children will find very appealing. It’s a book with true international flavour and should travel across markets well.”
Kids Book Review
“Not bad.”
Ken’s Mum
Notes for parents and teachers
Title:
Annabel’s Chewy-gooey Birthday Cake
Publisher:
Woodslane Press
Price:
$24.99 hardcover / $16.99 softcover.
ISBN:
9780987607782 softcover
9780987607799 hardcover
Publication:
September, 2014.
Audience:
Children 4 – 8 years
Synopsis:
Annabel wants the biggest and best cake for her party. ‘Too plain,’ she cries as Chef Pierre whips up ever more elaborate cakes, until his final cake – a chewy-gooey chocolate, caramel mudcake with butterscotch syrup, every colour sprinkles, topped with icky-sticky toffee waffles on a cherry fudge sundae, smothered in chocolate mousse and a tower of strawberry glazed doughnuts, showered with marshmallows and dripping with hot chocolate ganache.
Topic/themes
Kids, birthdays, food, cakes, humour.
Teachers Notes and Activities:
- Ask children if they remember having a birthday cake of their own, and what that experience felt like. Did they share their cake with family and friends? Did they choose the cake themselves? Did they help make the cake?
- Have them read the story and discuss the problems Annabel and Chef Pierre encounter with each other.
- Discuss whether they think Annabel is being a spoilt brat or just a ‘fussy bug’.
- How do they think Chef Pierre felt towards Annabel as the story went on?
- Have the children make a character board they think best sums up Annabel and Chef Pierre as characters.
- Have the children role play – have someone play Annabel and pout at each of Chef Pierre’s creations. Have another play Chef Pierre. Explore different outcomes.
- Give the class an A4 size sheet of paper and have them design and draw their own birthday cake with six favourite toppings. Then have children close their eyes and imagine biting into the cake. Have them describe in a sentence the taste, the texture, the flavours and how it makes them feel.
- What is a cake? What types of cakes are there? Have the kids gather ideas from various cook books, in print or online, then use the model of Chef Pierre’s recipe to create an actual recipe of their own. Get the class to come up with an allergy free recipe you could make together.