review: The Baker's Dozen

It's like magic: right after my last post, a box of books appeared at my doorstep.





The Baker's Dozen written and illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Henry Holt, 2007 (978-0-8050-7809-1) $16.95

I was drawn to the cover of this book, an apple-cheeked-and-chinned baker exuberantly juggling cupcakes. He just looks so darn happy about it. And happiness continues to be the theme throughout, as the baker takes "great care to make one cream eclair," "in the oven bakes two German chocolate cakes," and "in tins the perfect size bakes three cherry pies," all the while loving his job with all his heart. No, the rhyming text is not particularly scintillating, but it's adequate. There are a few cute visual touches here, like the baker's smiling chef-hatted clock, which beams and occasionally licks its lips, but the main point of the pictures is the baker's joy as he creates and dallies with his sweet treats, from the one eclair to the twelve small cupcakes he juggles. Thirteen is the number of customers he greets, and a chart at the end of the book shows the progression of the numbers, from the one eclair, to thirteen eager little boys. Fun for anyone who knows how to truly appreciate food. (2-6)