Bake Sale
by Sara Varon

          Cupcake is the main character in this rather unusual graphic novel, whose characters are all types of food: pastries, fruits, and vegetables. Cupcake, owns a bakery and coffee shop, and his best friend is Eggplant. The main part of the plot begins when Cupcake’s friend Eggplant expresses a desire to go visit his Aunt Aubergine who lives in Istanbul, Turkey. Eggplant's Aunt works with a famous chef named Turkish Delight. When Eggplant suggests that Cupcake come with him, Cupcake is excited and begins working hard to raise money so that he can go with Eggplant to Istanbul and meet his idol. Unfortunately, just when Cupcake earns enough money to go on the trip; Eggplant gets laid off and won’t be able to go after all. Now Cupcake has a difficult decision to make: will he put his friend first and give him the money to go visit his aunt, or will Cupcake go meet his idol and leave his friend at home?

          At 158 pages, Bake Sale does not meet the normal picture book qualifications, but the cartoon illustrations make it appealing to younger children and a major portion of the story line is told with pictures. The reader must pay close attention to both the text and the pictures in order to understand the plot. The highlights of this story are the lessons it teaches about friendship, the humor of personified food, and the delicious looking recipes. It is quite obvious that Sara Varon is fond of baking. Throughout the book, and at the end, Cupcake’s recipes are shown in great detail. Sara Varon is also the author of Robot Dreams, Chicken and Cat, Chicken and Cat Clean up, and Sweaterweather.

Book jacket source: library

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