MARCEL THE PASTRY CHEF

Since he's a hippopotamus, Marcel is deemed unworthy to be a baker; he must scrub pots in the king's kitchen. Still, he knows he has a gift and gets up nightly to practice it, concealing his masterpieces by eating them. One night he forgets a cream puff, which the king enjoys during a midnight prowl. It's only a matter of time (the snooty, incompetent cook at first gets credit for Marcel's wonderful confections; Marcel later saves him by producing an incredible wedding cake) before the truth outs. The ending here is a little flat, but the story is smoothly told (except for banalities like "all good things eventually come to an end, even if they just lead to other good things"). McDermott (1975 Caldecott for Arrow to the Sun) provides lively, well- designed illustrations in a popular style, adding pleasantly to the story's humor. (Picture book. 4-8)