A new twist on the classic fable The Hare and the Tortoise. A disaster of a cake that will make little children chuckle.

I’ve enjoyed this book even though my adult stomach turns with the imagination of Bucky’s improvised and hasty cake. But I’m speaking from experience that every child has a phase where everything gross is strangely the funniest thing on earth. And so, this book is certainly for them. They will get a good laugh out of it that they can share with their adult person. And best of all, they will learn that patience isn’t a bad thing. We all need patience to succeed – a life skill that can’t be taught too early.

The illustrations are very fitting and make the story that much funnier.

QOTD: What kind of creature is Garbage? It’s a real mystery to me. Also, why is Bucky thinking that running out of the kitchen is the best way to make a cake?

Bucky does not want to take the time to learn how to make a proper birthday cake. Will his shortcuts in making his cake be Bucky's downfall?

This is a reimagined tortoise and the hare story, as Bucky is a hare and Ms. Shelly (the baker) is a tortoise. The author embeds a little history of cake making into the book, which makes it a bit unique. The illustrations are whimsical and well done, with good facial expressions and action giving the story life. There is a basic recipe for a cake scattered throughout the pages, though I do not think you could truly make a good cake with the broad outlines given. Overall, kids will enjoy listening to This is a Birthday Cake, but parents and educators will enjoy the message and lesson it gives just as much. Slowing down and taking your time are important lessons for children, which are delivered in this book in a fun and exciting way.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of This is a Birthday Cake by NetGalley and the publisher, Oni Press. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

This is a real fun book.
Making a cake takes time, too much time for some. But when corners are cut and a cake is made in record time can it still be as tasty?

This is birthday cake was certainly one of the cutest and most entertaining books I have read in a very long time. A lot of fun and definitely work the read!

This was a funny and cute read about Bucky the bunny, who badly wants to bake a birthday cake but lacks the ingredients (and patience) to do so. I really liked how the book begins with a little bit of history about birthday cakes. The page was hilarious and I think there are valuable lessons to be learnt from this lovely picture book. Baking is an art, but so is patience!

Wow, this was a good one!

Shelly the Turtle is aiming to teach Bucky the rabbit how to make a birthday cake, but Bucky is just SO excited that he can't even wait for her to teach him. He, bursting with energy, runs...err...hops off through the forest trying to make one on his own instead. This does not go well...

This book was so well done. The art is lovely, and the characters are adorable. Throughout the book, we get to see Bucky making a cake with not-so-ideal ingredients, with actual baking instructions periodically inserted. By the end, when Bucky's cake isn't met with happy faces, Shelly meets him with grace, understanding that sometimes when kids (or in this case, bunnies) get a little too excited it can be hard to keep themselves in check.

I'll be recommending this to my family for their in-home daycare for sure!

*I was given a copy of this title via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is basically another version of the hare and tortoise story, but with a bit of a spin to make it about cake! The hare wants to make the cake in a hurry but forgets the recipe so makes it up. The cake ends up rubbish and the tortoise saves the day with a good cake. The illustrations are great and I can see some kids finding it funny but its not the most exciting storyline.

This is a cute little book about friends wanting to do something special for another friend's birthday and everything going completely wrong.

Ms Shelly the turtle is the best baker in the forest. She's agreed to share her cake baking secrets with a bunny who is a big fan of going fast! So he cuts a few corners! The cake is still going to be GREAT, right?!

We loved this silly, fun book! My daughter giggled all the way through! We'll be looking for this once it's published! What a fun read!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. I thank the author and publisher for this opportunity.

What a fun, silly story! I really enjoyed the callback to the story of the Tortoise and the Hare through the characters Bucky and Ms. Shelly. The juxtaposition between Bucky and Ms. Shelly when they are baking their cake was silly but also effective in teaching students about following directions and being patient. I know my students are going to enjoy this silly story (especially when Bucky finds a way to "bake" his cake) and it will be easy to incorporate this book in a social skills lesson at the beginning of the year. Thank you for the advanced copy of this giggle-inducing story!

Thank you Oni Press, NetGalley, and Andrew Cangelose for the ARC of 'This is a Birthday Cake'.

This is an engaging retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare "racing" to bake a birthday cake. Only Ms. Shelly, the tortoise and teacher, isn't racing, and when Bucky the bunny gets impatient, he tries to quickly make a cake of his own as fast as possible. A charming story with expressive and hilarious illustrations make this a great read. Plus, there's a few history facts and a simple cake recipe included!

Bucky (a young rabbit) is a baker in training, but he is impatient, distracted, and in a hurry, as most young bunnies are.

His teacher is Ms. Shelly (a tortoise) is an organized and careful baker who loves to teach about the history too.

The bakers need a cake for a birthday party, and Bucky decides to make one by himself, to show-off his skills and impress everyone; and his cake will be ready first! All the animals will be amazed! But in his rush, he forgets to take the ingredients, so he has to use substitutions.

Dirt for flour, pond water for liquid...Bucky's cake doesn't taste very good, and it might ruin the party!

He has to put off his fantasy (becoming the village baker), but he decides that baking is so important, it should be done slowly!

4/5 Stars
Ms. Shelly would allow extra time for her baking and walking pace--to arrive at the party on time. (She could still have stayed late. The walk home was cute!)

Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the preview in ebook form; the review is voluntary.

#ThisisaBirthdayCake #NetGalley

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was SO MUCH FUN. I didn't anticipate much (my mistake, as children's books are becoming more clever and engaging). Reading it was a pleasant surprise!

Bucky the Bunny is too impatient to learn how to properly make a cake and makes a few tweaks to the recipe. The result is disastrous but he learns his lesson.

The book also has fun historical facts about cakes and candles, as well as a simple recipe for a simple cake. Such a fun story and I can't wait to share it with the kiddos in my life!

An interesting retelling of "The tortoise and the hare" fable, highlighting the value of patience and focus. It also shows that though it may look like a disaster, everything usually works out in the end.

Besides, what kid hasn't made a mud cake?

Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a Birthday Cake by Andrew Cangelose is a fun, educational children's book about birthday cakes. The story revolves around woodland creatures making a birthday cake for one of their birthdays. Of course, hijinks ensue. Will the cake turn out all right or a disaster?

Overall, This is a Birthday Cake is a lovely children's book that will make readers giggle. One highlight was the facts about birthday cakes that the author included in the book. There were plenty of historical facts about cakes that I had not known before. I did take off 1 star, because the artwork just didn't wow me. If you're intrigued by the description, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in July!

I really enjoyed this picture book’s humorous take on the difference between a kid and an adult tackling the challenge of baking a cake. It even included a real recipe for a cake. The new cook in the forest wants to do everything quickly and has a very interesting cake to show for his work. This would be a great book to use to start a discussion about the problem with rushing or not following directions. Kids will appreciate the colorful and silly pictures.

This book was silly and had wonderful illustrations. The reader learns a lot about patience and the importance of following directions.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. It was very sweet and super easy to read. Loved the progression of the story as well. Also loved that it not only gave the recipe but what each ingredient or step would do to the recipe. Great for any age. Great for a parent and child or grandparent and child to read and then make together.

The pictures that went with the book were great and I really liked all the colors.

Overall, I would read more by this author.

This is a Birthday Cake by Andrew Cangelose is an extremely cute book. The cartoon characters bring the story of how to make a birthday 🥳 cake 🍰 to life. I can see me reading the story to my granddaughter when she is three or four and she would love it. I think that is the age when she will want to help her mom bake the cake. 🧁

I received an electronic ARC from Oni Press through NetGalley.
Cangelose offers an interesting alternative to the slow process of baking and decorating a birthday cake. Readers meet Shelly the baker who happens to be a tortoise, and Bucky the would be baker, and, coincidentally, a hare. From the opening, both the texts and illustrations show their different philosophies. As the story unfolds, readers will get to choose which cake they would rather eat and might learn a lesson about focusing and paying attention to details. Young, and not so young, readers will laugh at the antics involved in this story.