THE LAW OF BIRTHDAYS

A little girl causes dismay in a kingdom by refusing a royally mandated treat in Jeanneret’s picture book for children.

The Law of Birthdays says that every child must have cake on the king’s birthday. One girl’s polite refusal of a slice, even when offered extra frosting and sprinkles, causes consternation in the royal court. She won’t even pretend to eat it, when asked, so a guard takes her to see the king, who’s just digging into his own slice. “I’m vegan,” the girl announces, adding that too much sugar would make her “start bouncing all over.” Questioning the law’s absurdity, she asks the monarch to imagine if the Law of Birthdays required “no cake.” A final twist, underscoring the message, is a hoot. This enjoyably quirky and well-conceived picture book delivers a meaningful moral to its young audience about being true to oneself. In Kondra’s delightful full-page and spot illustrations—featuring expressive, diverse cartoon-style characters and humorous touches—the king’s piece of cake is bigger than he is, and the pale-skinned girl, with wild red hair and a variety of bold reactions, is the picture of independence. Included for adults are suggestions for encouraging critical thinking and information about factors that contribute to food-related choices.

A smart, funny kids’ tale about standing up for one’s choices.