Pink Cupcake Magic

Zoe loves cupcakes and princesses with equal passion, but lately neither is very satisfying. Her older brother and his buddies are constantly eating her cupcakes, and Zoe’s pretend tea parties with her stuffed animals are unfulfilling. “Shall we walk around our kingdom today?” she asks her fuzzy bunny, who “looked at her blankly. Zoe sighed. Maybe pretending to be a princess wasn’t such a great thing after all.” Luckily for Zoe, simply making a wish while she bakes a new batch of cupcakes is enough to transform her into an actual princess, turn her “plastic playhouse” into a castle, and give her truly interactive animal friends/subjects. There are many books available that celebrate the power of a child’s imagination; this isn’t one of them. Instead, author/publisher Tegen (Snowman Magic) uses magic to instantly solve every problem that comes Zoe’s way, from the tedium of pretending to be a princess to her royal subjects’ need for new outfits and her brother’s cupcake thievery. Varner’s dynamic acrylics are a bright spot in an otherwise uninspiring tale. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Maggie Byers-Sprinzeles, Byers-Sprinzeles Agency. (Jan.)