Oh Look, a Cake!

K-Gr 2--Sloth and Lemur have a dilemma. They found a beautiful three-tiered, pink-iced cake with one orange and black-striped candle and briefly consider throwing a party to share their find with others. After going through a list of animals they know, they decide against inviting each one for a specific reason: the elephant would eat the entire cake, the python has deplorable manners, the porcupine is too prickly, and the rhino is too rambunctious. The two partake of the delicious dessert themselves. After Sloth and Lemur devour the cake and all that's left are crumbs, the animal that made the cake for her own birthday arrives on the scene. Now Sloth and Lemur have an even bigger predicament. The digital illustrations are placed on pastel backgrounds that allow the animals and their imagined party behavior to stand out. Only two pages have black backgrounds: one when Sloth makes an unfortunate decision and the other when justice is served. The droll humor is reminiscent of Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back. VERDICT While not a first purchase, this funny take on "revenge is sweet" makes for an understated and humorous tale.--Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek P.L., WI

Kids are sure to get a laugh out of the mischievous Sloth and Lemur finding outlandish rationalization for a cake they have no intention of sharing, and fans of Klassen's This Is Not My Hat will snicker at the darkly funny ending.- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books