THE CAKE

When a tiger wants to make a cake, he and his friends fight over its ingredients with humorous (if naughty) results.

Cartoon-style, vibrantly colored art complete with speech balloons introduces a dog that wants a bone cake, a bunny that wants a carrot cake, a teddy bear that wants a fish cake and a monkey that suggests a banana cake. Tiger insists on chocolate, but the others respond with disgust when he lists the necessary ingredients. “Well, what shall we make then?” the tiger reasonably asks. When the group suggests a “bone-banana-carrot-and-fish cake,” the tiger’s speech balloon adopts a pointy intensity, as its large script bellows, “NO WAY! That would be revolting!” Instead of talking things through, the group responds, “YOU’RE REVOLTING!” An all-out brawl ensues. The four animals fling their food choices at the tiger, and then the tiger threatens to eat them. It’s unsurprising that they scurry away, leaving the tiger all alone. When they return, they come bearing the chocolate cake that adorns the book’s jacket, and at first the tiger is pleased—but then instead of eating the cake together, the other animals hurl it at the tiger, leaving readers with a vision of it just about to land on his striped head.

There’s no moral to this story, just irreverent fun.