Spring Cakes (I Like to Read Comics)

PreS-Gr 2—Mama Cat makes glorious cupcakes the first day of every spring. Her kittens, Ginger, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg, travel through their village on a quest for the five magical ingredients listed in Mama's recipe. The little ones are excited to visit the town's miller, beekeeper, and chicken farmer. But things get hairy when the trio run into a bear lurking in the meadow. And even worse, they must find the frightening owl witch in the haunted woods to get the last magic ingredient. SNAP! HOOT HOOT. The woods are filled with eerie noises and shadows. The timid kittens complete their journey and at the end of the day share freshly baked cakes with their new friends—including the owl witch, who's not so scary after all. Rendered in a sophisticated and complex palette of rich, warm colors, Harmon's delightfully wide-eyed cartoon characters brim with kid appeal. Each page includes panels that incorporate visual clues with easy-to-read text. VERDICT A pleasant story about food and friendship; recommended as an additional purchase to keep shelves stocked for new readers.—Rita Christensen, Orem P.L., UT

It's the first day of spring, and Mama Cat, a buff-colored medium-haired feline with pink fur around her muzzle, is baking her magical spring cakes. Her three kittens--Nutmeg, a sooty-colored shorthair; Cinnamon, an orange piebald with eye patch markings and medium hair; and Ginger, a dark orange longhair--each dressed in a cozy sweater and brown boots, are excited to finally be "old enough to help." First, they must find the special ingredients, including silver honey ("The bees use pollen from magical flowers. The flowers only bloom in the winter"), blue chicken eggs, and "magical roses from the witch's garden." Together, the feline siblings visit various anthropomorphic creatures, collecting each enchanted cake component while encountering friendliness along the way. Washed jewel tones and rounded animation-style illustrations keep the magic alive in this sweet story, while Harmon's accessible prose and chronological art set a solid framework for beginning graphic novel readers. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)