CAKE VS. PIE

“Leeeet’s get ready to crumble!”

Cake is an amazing friend—“eggs-traordinary” and “one in a melon,” as the other foods put it. No one measures up to Cake. Until Pie moves in. Pie, a joker, is “warm and open” (literally—check out their lattice top crust). Cake and Pie become friends, and in no time everyone loves Pie, but Cake realizes that Pie craves attention. Soon Pie becomes the flavor of every month. Feeling “desserted,” Cake challenges Pie to a Food Fight. Before stepping into the ring with Pie, Cake asks Danish, Waffle, Brownie, and others for a makeover. They have lots of suggestions—maybe Cake should be Carrot Cake or Coffee Cake? In the end, Danish says, “Just be yourself,” and Cake agrees…though they decide to add a few layers and embellishments. But when Cake and Pie enter the ring, Cake’s tiers topple onto Pie. Soon another type of food fight ensues as the onlookers begin hurling whipped cream, sauce, and more at one another. Cake regrets their jealousy, and Pie admits they should have swallowed their pride. Together, they pick up the pieces and put things right. Bardhan-Quallen leans heavily on the food puns, but she also offers a sound lesson about compromise and the art of friendship. Stilwell’s delightfully expressive cartoons depict cookies, popsicles, strawberries, and more, all with round eyes and stick-figure limbs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet story with an important message that goes down easily.