The Bottom Line
This is the picture book I've been waiting for: a food allergy story that is about more than food allergies. Clever Jack Takes the Cake is a richly textured tale with gorgeous illustrations. The story can be enjoyed on multiple levels, and will appeal kids aged 3-8, and of course, the adults who love them.
Pros
- Timeless, lyrical story destined to become a classic.
- Beautifully illustrated.
- Food allergies treated simply, as one facet of a complex character.
- Uplifting message about the limits of materialism.
Cons
- Some pages may have too much text for the youngest readers.
Description
- A modern take on the classic "Jack" stories.
- Food allergies are one plot element, not the central message of the book.
- Award-winning author and illustrator team Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas.
Guide Review - Review of Clever Jack Takes the Cake
From the award-winning creators of Mucnha! Muncha! Muncha! comes a new food adventure. Clever Jack Takes the Cake is beautifully illustrated and reads like an old fairy tale, despite being a new story dealing with contemporary issues. Young readers with food allergies will feel a special affinity to Jack's story, which involves a princess with a food allergy.
Jack, "a poor boy," is invited to the princess's 10th birthday party but has nothing fancy enough for a gift for a princess. Determined to go, Jack trades his few belongings for the ingredients to make a cake, bakes it, and sets off to bring it to the castle. He has many adventures along the way, and reaches the castle with only one strawberry left from his cake.
As Jack waits in line to see the princess, a guard confronts him:
"That is a fine piece of fruit," agreed the guard. "But I cannot allow you to give it to the princess."
"Why not?" asked Jack.
"Because she is allergic to strawberries," said the guard. "One taste and she swells up like a balloon."
"No!" gasped Jack.
"Yes," said the guard. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to give it to me."
The princesses' food allergy is presented as a matter of fact, and the storyline continues to build. While her allergy is an important plot element, it is only one plot element. Food allergy is presented as one facet of the princess's character, instead of her defining characteristic.
Jack, who worked so hard to bring the perfect strawberry to the princess, is dismayed but undaunted, and comes up with a clever and surprising solution. Both characters learn important lessons about gifts and friendship, which is handled gently in the text and images.
Brian Karas's scratchy, textured pencil and guache create a fairy-tale atmosphere the perfectly fits the mood of the text. The characters are lively and contemporary in feel, and even the giant, hairy ogre comes across as lovable.
Clever Jack Takes the Cake
Written by: Candace Fleming
Illustrated by: G. Brian Karas
Published by: Schwartz & Wade (August 24, 2010)
