Bake Sale

In a world of anthropomorphized food, Cupcake is a pink cupcake who runs his own bakery and idolizes the culinary work of Turkish Delight, a famous foreign chef. Cupcake's best friend, Eggplant, has a way for Cupcake to meet his idol, but first Cupcake must spend extra time earning enough money for the plane trip to Turkey. Cupcake has to drop out of the band he enjoys and go the extra mile to sell as many baked goods as he can. Much of the book shows Cupcake's hard work, which doesn't actually get him anywhere in the end because he gives his money to Eggplant%E2%80%94who has lost his job%E2%80%94instead. This seems to be showing that it's good to help others, and not to idolize when one can believe in oneself. However, it does make the ending feel a tad anticlimactic and as if nothing has been solved, since it seems that Cupcake has worked hard and pushed himself for nothing. Altogether the book has a mellow, easygoing feel, using soft colors and showing many yummy foods. As an added bonus, recipes for how to make the various scrumptious meals readers watch Cupcake prepare are provided. As in her previous Robot Dreams, Varon's art is simple and cozy, making this sweet tale a confection of its own. Ages 9%E2%80%9312. (Aug.)