Everyone Loves Cupcake

July 15, 2016
A sweet follow-up to DiPucchio and Wight's Everyone Loves Bacon (2015).As in its predecessor, humorous, food-based wordplay abounds in the clever text about beloved, anthropomorphic Cupcake in her cafe community. After the opening, titular line, word-balloon text affirms Coffee's love for Cupcake ("A latte!") and (wedding) Cake's, too ("I do"). Throughout, Wight's illustrations augment the humor with clever touches such as the latte-art heart on Coffee's surface. Meanwhile, Brownie is "nuts about her," and Angel Food Cake loves everyone. But the Tarts are jealous. Their snide comments sting, especially because general insecurity is Cupcake's bugaboo: "Cupcake worried a lot about what everyone thought, so she worked extra hard at being extra perfect." Alas, her striving and declarations of effort eventually grate on the others, who begin to avoid her. Feeling "crummy," Cupcake finds inspiration in words from, who else, (fortune) Cookie: "Be true. BE YOU." But when Cupcake musters up the courage to voice her true feelings, the revelations (that her frosting is artificially colored and she hates birthday parties) don't really connect to earlier parts of the story. Of course she'd hate birthday parties...where she'd be eaten, right? Forgoing frosting or sprinkles altogether would be more in tune with the anti-perfectionist message. While the climax thus seems incongruous, other treats' revelations reinforce the humor of the text, and the conclusion is supersweet. A picture-book treat. (Picture book. 3-8)

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September 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Cupcake is the fancy star of the bakery. She works hard to make sure she is beloved by all the other sweet treats. Being popular takes a lot of work as Cupcake rolls the wrinkles out of her paper baking liner, gets a new icing application, and makes sure that no sprinkle is out of place. Unfortunately, Cupcake starts alienating her former admirers with her constant quest for adoration. Maybe Cupcake doesn't need to be perfect for everyone after all. Each of the colorful bakery items has its own personality in this humorous tale. Puns abound, although some are more successful than others. The cinnamon bun "roll[s] his eyes," croissant can be a little "flaky," Coffee loves Cupcake "a latte," and at one point Cupcake feels "crummy." The message of acceptance is a bit muddled within the jokes, and there is an unnecessary romance between the fortune cookie and Cupcake, but by the conclusion it is clear that all of the bakery treats are friends and accepting of one another's flaws. Fans of DiPucchio and Wight's earlier offering, Everyone Loves Bacon, will be excited to see a bacon cameo. VERDICT This tempting treat will satisfy young readers' craving for laughs.-Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH

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