Cakes that are rude and Cyclops that are not

by Wendy Lawrence

Looking at the cover of the picture book Rude Cakes, I wasn’t so sure what to expect. There was a picture of a cake smiling and presumably being rude (if you can judge a book by its cover) to the cupcake and marshmallow running away from it. What I didn’t notice on the cover is that the green hill-like thing on which the said confections are standing is actually the head of a cyclops. Yes, I expected a lot of things from a book called Rude Cakes, but the Cyclops wasn’t one of them. So that shows you about books and covers and judging things.

Rude Cakes starts out with a cake that is, predictably, being rude. Really rude. This is one rude cake and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near her. (Her? I’m making the assumption because it is pink. You can yell at me later for that.)\

Title: Rude Cakes
Author/Illustrator: Rowboat Watkins
Age: All
Genre: Totally awesome picture book

But just as the rude cake is ignoring her parents’ specific instructions to go to sleep, she is plucked from her house by a Cyclops who understandably mistakes her for a giant hat. Cyclopses, you will find out if you have the good luck to get this book, love small hats and also are never rude.

As for the rest? I think you just need to read it. This might be one of my favorite picture books I’ve picked up in a long long while. I love the humor. I love the randomness. The messaging is not subtle, nor does it need to be–it’s surrounded by total zaniness! My 7yo doesn’t read a lot of picture books anymore, but I still love to curl him up with one every now and then and this one will be perfect. The whole family will laugh. Is there any gift better than that? Thank you Rowboat Watkins!

Cinderella in Outer Space

by Wendy Lawrence

Sometimes, a book can speak for itself. Here’s the opening of Interstellar Cinderella:

Once upon a planetoid, amid her tools and sprockets,
a girl named Cinderella dreamed of fixing fancy rockets.

She fixed the robot dishwasher and zoombrooms in her care,
but late each night she snuck away to study ship repair.

The books continues with the familiar but definitely new story. She can’t go to the ball because her spaceship is broken. But not to worry! The fairy godrobot is here–to fix the ship? No! To give her a new toolbox so she can fix it herself! Another twist parents who are sick of marrying princess might like: She says “no” to the prince’s marriage proposal and suggests she be his chief mechanic instead.

Title: Interstellar Cinderella
Author: Deborah Underwood
Illustrator: Meg Hunt
Ages: 0 – 7
Genre: Picture Book, Fairy Tale, SciFi? 🙂

This book is coming out in May 2015!

Parents can have fun talking with their children about the differences between this book and other Cinderella stories they’ve read. And asking them which parts they liked better in different versions. Then, it would be super fun to come up with your own version!

Older kids might just be set free with some blank paper and colored pencils.

Younger kids could fill in blanks as you ask them questions: Where do they want their Cinderella to live? In a forest? Under the ocean? On Mars?