Ember the dragon is tasked with preparing a special dessert under a tight deadline.
Ember has been enjoying his job working with light-skinned human Beatrice in her bakery. Ember’s a natural, whipping up sumptuous golden loaves. One day, Beatrice leaves Ember in charge while she makes deliveries. A demand comes in from the tiny vegetable fairy Princess Turnip: to whip up a cake for the fairy queen’s birthday. Ember’s never heard of “‘birthday cake’ bread,” but he does his best. His concoctions displease Princess Turnip, but with some encouragement from the princess—and a recipe from the library—Ember makes a lovely, golden, two-tiered cake with rosettes and candles. After delivering his creation to the delighted fairy queen, Ember returns to the bakery feeling newly inspired, filling the store with cakes and showing Beatrice and the customers a new offering. Like our protagonist’s first outing, The Bakery Dragon (2024), this one features captivating artwork. The bakery is awash in golden tones, evoking the magic of a fairy tale. With big, expressive eyes, red-winged Ember is as adorable as ever. The newly introduced princess appears to be a sentient vegetable—her dress and hair are leafy greens, while her arms and legs are formed from the root. The message to try new things, even if you fail at first, is a meaningful one, clear enough without verging on heavy-handedness.
Sumptuous illustrations help this sweet lesson in perseverance go down easy.
(Picture book. 4-8)