Turnip Cake, Anyone? A Birthday for Cow by Jan Thomas

Pig and Mouse have volunteered to make the birthday cake!

"THE BEST EVER!"

Pig and Mouse assemble their utensils: measuring cups, a big bowl, whisks and spoons, and a big baking pan. Pig and Mouse assemble their ingredients: eggs, milk, flour and sugar. But Duck has one more.

"AND A TURNIP?"

Mouse nixes the turnip. Now they have to mix the ingredients with ...

A TURNIP?

NO. A SPOON! Mouse says.

The bakers are ready to put the pan of cake batter into the oven.

"CAN A TURNIP GO IN, TOO?" DUCK INQUIRES.

Yikes, No way, Duck! But when the fragrant cake is done, they have to put something on top of it.

"NO TURNIPS, DUCK!"

Mouse suggests birthday candles! And just in time, the birthday cake is ready. And here comes Cow, right on cue!

"IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?" SAYS COW.

And, Yes, dear reader, COW means ....

The turnip, just for him!

It's different strokes for different critters, in Jan Thomas' early readers' hilarious noodle tale, A Birthday for Cow! (The Giggle Gang)(The Giggle Gang) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), in which Cow gets his heart's delight, and Mouse and Pig get to eat their own cake all by themselves. Everyone gets what they want. It's a simple story of the best birthday party EVER! With its thick blackline drawings and multicolored pastel pages, this clever noodle tale offers plenty of visual clues and repetition of key words to help beginning readers tackle reading this story all by themselves.

And now... is there leftover cake for successful readers?

Pair this classic with Jan Thomas' other delightfully silly beginner reader books, such as What Is Chasing Duck? (The Giggle Gang) and What Will Fat Cat Sit On? (The Giggle Gang)

Today Is YOUR Day, Maisy Mouse! Maisy's Surprise Birthday Party by Lucy Cousins

It's Maisy's birthday, the sun is shining, and she's determined to make her day special. It's a pancakes-for breakfast day!

WHAT A BIRTHDAY TREAT!

Maisy dresses in her birthday best and goes outside to check the mail. There's a letter from Charley, inviting her to his house! Maisy hurries over.

THE DOOR IS OPEN! HOW STRANGE!

Inside, the house is very dark. Maisie fumbles for the light switch...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAISY!"

All Maisy's friends pop out of hiding with presents from each one and...after Maisy opens them all, she thanks each one, and everyone has a turn to play with each present. And then, mysteriouly, all the lights go off again! What's happening?

A BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CANDLES!

And Maisy makes her wish as she blows out her candles, in Lucy Cousin's brand-new Maisy's Surprise Birthday Party (Candlewick Press, 2021). Author-illustrator Cousins is the master of jolly stories for the toddler tribe, and in this Maisy First Experiences Book, with her trademark folksy black line and bright primary color drawings, she guides the very young through the big event of a first surprise party. Happy Birthday Wishes, Maisy, and Many More!

Haste Makes Waste! Bear Can't Wait! by Karma Wilson

It's a fine sunny day, but the Bear is in a fidget as he ties a festive bowtie and paces to and fro.

"WHY IS TIME SO SLOW?"

What's all this fluster and guster about?

BEAR CAN'T WAIT!

Into Bear's cave, Badger brings a bucket of fresh-dug carrots for the cake. Badger brings berries and confetti. Raven comes in with a candle, and Owl flutters in with fresh flowers.

BEAR FRETS AND HE FIDDLES.

HE WIGGLES AND HE TWIDDLES.

BEAR... CAN'T... WAIT.

But Racoon bakes up the carrot cake, while Mole and Mouse stir up the frosting. But then, Bear just has to help!

"LET ME DO THE CAKE

AND HE TRIPS BY MISTAKE!

With a splat! Bear squashes the cake flat, all just because Bear couldn't WAIT!

Mouse takes charge, ordering Bear to hustle his bustle. The party starts in an hour!

"GET MORE CARROTS, HONEY, AND FLOUR!"

Haste makes waste, all right, but moving fast sometimes saves the day and this time...

. . . BEAR DOESN'T WAIT!

All's well, as the finishing touches on the second cake are done just in time fpr the birthday boy, Hare, to hop in for the surprise birthday party, in Karma Wilson's tenth book in her best-selling series, Bear Can't Wait (The Bear Books) (Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2021). Artist Jane Chapman outdoes herself in her gloriously charming illustrations of kids' favorite forest friends and their favorite host with the most, Bear.

Karma Wilson's plots, told in jolly quatrains as they are, also skillfully focus on Bear as he takes on some of the sources of strong early childhood emotions and getting by with a little help from his friends. A must-have for collections for preschoolers who can't wait (and who among them can?) and perfect for early readers who want to read their favorite ursine character's latest story.

What to Wear! Annie and Snowball and the Dress-Up Birthday by Cynthia Rylant

It was almost Annie's birthday. This year she had her new bunny, Snowball.

Annie wanted to invite her family--her dad and Snowball, and her cousin Henry, and his parents--and of course Henry's big dog Mudge. She phoned Henry and told him that her party was on Tuesday.

"Dad is going to make all my favorite foods--finger sandwiches and lemon tarts and strawberries dipped in chocolate!

And it's going to be a dress-up birthday!"

Henry couldn't wait to dress up Mudge!

On Tuesday Annie's house was all dressed up, too, with daisies and yellow balloons and fancy finger foods arranged on pretty plates. Annie was wearing a frilly pink satin dress with matching tights and bows in her hair. Snowball even had a little bow on her fluffy tail.

Annie's dad was in a tuxedo!

At last it was time for her guests to arrive.

The doorbell rang.

And there stood a pirate, a gypsy, a mummy, and a moose!

"Dress-up" has more than one meaning, as Annie finds out when Henry, his parents, and his big dog Mudge arrive, all dressed up in costumes for her party, in Annie and Snowball and the Dress-up Birthday (Level 1) (Simon Spotlight). In this early reader story in her series about Annie and Henry, notable author Cynthia Rylant and artist Sucie Stevenson combine their skills to tell a funny story of mixed-up meanings that ends with a good laugh and a perfect birthday party and a happy fortune for the birthday girl told by the Gypsy, a.k.a. Henry's mom. Learning to read is fun when you do it with friends like Henry and Annie. Newbery author Rylant is the author of several outstanding early reader series besides the Annie and Snowball series--the Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby.

Never Too Old! Mr. Putter and Tabby Make a Wish by Cynthia Rylant

It was a beautiful morning.

Mr. Putter and his good cat Tabby were eating crumpets with jam and drinking tea. Mr. Putter picked up his newspaper and noticed the date.

"Good heavens, Tabby! Today is my birthday!"

Mr. Putter starts thinking about birthdays--especially the ones he used to have when he was a boy. Back in those days he got great presents, like a scooter and a model airplane. He had great birthday parties with friends and balloons--and a cake with candles.

But now Mr. Putter was to old for scooters. Too old for cake.

(He'd need a fire hose to put out the candles!)

But the truth was, Mr. Potter wanted a birthday anyway.

He decides to call his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry and invite her and her good dog Zeke for tea. That would have to do.

Mrs. Teaberry accepts the invitation happily. But she says she has to wash the dishes first.

Mr. Putter waits. He reads some of the newspaper. Mrs. Teaberry calls and says she needs to curl her hair. Then she calls to say she has to unclog the bathtub, and then she calls to say she's searching for Zeke's favorite ball. Mr. Putter has finished his newspaper and now all he can do is fret.

Mr. Putter CAN'T WAIT!

He was getting older by the minute.

But then Mrs. Teaberry and Zeke show up with balloons tied to Zeke's tail, a present dangling his collar, and a huge cake with dozens of candles. Now all Mr. Putter needs is someone to help him blow out all those the candles, and for that Mrs. Teaberry is perfect, in Cynthia Rylant's  Mr. Putter and Tabby Make a Wish (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), illustrated delightfully by noted artist Arthur Howard. A Newbery Award author and a Caldecott Award illustrator equal one terrific I-Can-Read story, full of humor and the joy of friendship.

LETTER Perfect! The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

Grace's birthday was almost here. She had written a list.

It's quite a wide-ranging selection of birthday wishes--a puppy, a robot, a tent, pens, a how-to-build-a-den book, and shoes with sparkles.

The celebration was everything a birthday party should be, but the next day brings a certain responsibility--writing proper thank you notes! And thanks to one perspicacious benefactor, she has just what she needs for the task--new pens and pencils!

Grace thanks her Nana and Granpops for the toy dog; she thanks Milly and Billy for the sparkly shoes. She thanks her parents for the great tent and for a top-notch birthday party. She thanks Noah for his homemade robot costume, and especially Jayla--for all the colored pens and pencils!

She even writes a note to her teacher, Mr. Jones, for his lessons on writing all 26 letters in the alphabet, and a special welcome to her kitty and her newest pet....

THANK YOU, BING, FOR YOUR FLUFFY WAGGING TAIL.

They must be terrific thank-yous, too, because when Grace comes home the next day, the walls of her new tent have a big surprise--

It was full of LOVE notes!

Grace gratefully read each and every one of those notes. And then there's a surprise on the last page:

DEAR READER,

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS BOOK.

Jane Cabrera's The Thank You Letter (Holiday House, 2019) embraces the ideas of gratitude and the joy of giving and receiving. Author-illustrator Jane Cabrera's well-paced text is letter perfect, and her illustrations are well-placed and picture perfect, too--adorable child-like characters, cute pets and toys, and a three-page gatefold that shows off Grace's fan mail displayed inside her new tent. A perfect read for inspiring thank-yous and a natural lead-in to primary-grade lessons on writing a personal letter.

The Wolf at the Door! The Wolf Will Not Come by Myriam Ouyessad

It's bedtime and Mama Rabbit is trying to tuck in Little Rabbit, but the windows are dark and scary. And Little Rabbit seems to have the wolf-at-the-door willies.

"Are you sure the wolf will not come?" he asks.

"There are no more wolves. The hunters have chased them all away!"

But little Rabbit is not so easily convinced. What if one wolf sneaked through the forest and into the woods nearby? What if he were sneaky enough to make his way to the Rabbit's street by pretending to be a dog? What if he dodged all the cars and made his way through the maze of streets to the Rabbits' apartment door?

"He could not get in. The wolf does not know the code to the door," Mama points out.

"Father Pinaud has the code," Little Rabbit persists. "Also, he never notices anything!"

Mama seems to be getting exasperated with all this wily wolf talk. After all, wolves don't take elevators to the fifth floor of apartment buildings.

"Listen, Rabbit," says Mama. "Even if a wolf came up the elevator, he would not get in here. Good night, my rabbit!"

Mama Wolf gives him a final firm kiss, turns off the light, and closes Little Rabbit's bedroom door.

But then there is a knock ...

In Myriam Ouyessad's hilarious tale of a unlikely wolf at the door, The Wolf Will Not Come (Schiffer Publishing, 2019), the wolf turns out to be an expected but early guest to Rabbit's birthday party. Little Rabbit bounces out of his bedroom to open the door and hugs the wolf!

"I was sure you would come!"

All ends well with with an apparently well-planned birthday party, with balloons and banners and a big birthday cake. Author Myriam Ouyessad sets this story up cleverly, with Rabbit and Mama Rabbit pictured, spot-art style,  on the verso pages and the wolf's covert progress from woods through city streets to elevator shown full-page on the recto. Mama Rabbit calmly deadpans all the reasons why a wolf will not find his way to their door, while artist Ronan Badel's illustrations portray the stealthy wolf's progress from woods to party which fill the recto pages. Youngsters will love the closing twist, ending with a beautifully wrapped wolf toy for Rabbit and a hug and big slice of birthday cake for Wolf. A tongue-in-cheek birthday tale that leaves a very sweet taste!

Best Wishes! Make a Wish, Henry Bear by Liam Francis Walsh

Henry's got a parent problem.

You've heard of free-range kids? Henry's got free-range parents.

It was the night before Henry's birthday. He pulled the covers up to his nose.

"Can't you stay up a little longer?" asked Mama Bear. "Just ten more minutes?" begged Papa Bear. "Pleeeeease?"\

"Fine," said Henry with a sigh. "Ten minutes, but that's all!"

Hanry's parents take him outside into the night and urge him to climb high and higher in the backyard tree.

CRACK!

Rubbing his bruised backside, Henry turns down Papa's offer to push him really high on the swing or Mama's pitch for a midnight family bike ride.

Henry is tired and cranky the next morning. It's a school day, but his breakfast is chocolate cake--again! His parents urge him to skip school and watch TV on the sofa in pajamas with them.

"But I have to go to school!" said Henry.

"Boring," says Mama Bear. "Take some toys."

At lunchtime, Henry is frowning into his lunch box when the new girl, Marjani, sits down beside him.

"I've never seen someone with a slice of chocolate cake look so unhappy," she said.

Henry confesses the whole story. It's his birthday, and on his last birthday he'd wished for fun parents who let him eat cake anytime, stay up too late, and skip his homework. But Henry has come to regret that wish. It's a cut-and-dried case of too much of a good thing!

"Tonight, when I blow out my candles, I'm going to wish them back the way they were, he said."

Henry invites Marjani to his party, but that night there's no chocolate cake with candles for his birthday. Mama Bear has decided a great big bowl of candy is just the thing for this birthday dinner!

But in some skillful storytelling, Liam Francis Walsh's Make a Wish, Henry Bear (Roaring Book Press, 2019) makes the case for the old saw, "Be careful what you wish for, because you might get it!" Luckily, Marjani comes through with the perfect birthday gift, a cupcake--with candle--and Henry gets to make a wiser birthday wish after all in a clever twist on turnabout parenting. Walsh's charming illustrations provide a quaint setting that adds a nice folklorish touch to this otherwise contemporary lesson on learning to wish well and wisely. Says Kirkus Reviews, "Readers will hope to see more of Henry Bear."

The Handbook of Birthday Regulations: Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish by Beth Ferry

Of course, Rule 1 requires that it be your actual birthday. Or close. At least in the same week--unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as being an insect of considerably limited lifespan. (In that case, take it while you can get it!)

RULE 2: You must have a PARTY.

Accouterments are optional, of course. But for the traditional shindig, items like hats, streamers, banners, food, and confetti are conventional, and balloons are pretty much de regueur.

Unless... you are a rhinoceros. (POP!)

RULE 3: You must have cake or cannoli or cream puffs or churros... (or other sturdy desserts which can withstand RULE 4.)

Rule 4 requires something which must be blown out vigorously, (like candles or sparklers), resulting in Rule 5's requisite--DARKNESS. Further rules require singing of a certain song (with which everyone on the planet if familiar), following which closed eyes are optional, but expected to suggest deep thought and a requisite deep breath to ensure that said candle or sparklers are extinguished summarily. Help from bystanders is allowed, if necessary, but somewhat frowned upon unless the celebrant is of tender years.

And at last, the celebrant arrives at the crux of the whole exercise...

THE WISH!

... Which must be made in silence and remain unrevealed... if the celebrant has hope of...

... a wish coming true.

Sweet dreams of birthday wishes fulfilled are ensured in Beth Ferry's new Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2019), which builds a bit of suspense for readers as she takes us through the traditional protocol of the proper birthday party, illustrated joyously by the inimitable artist Tom Lichtenheld whose assorted animal party-goers are charmingly pictured in a jolly party mood, just the thing for reading aloud on party day. Says Kirkus, "Satisfyingly humorous and sure to gift readers with guffaws...a gift of a book to open again and again."

No Need for A Bounce House! If You Had Your Birthday Party On The Moon by Joyce Lapin

HOW AMAZING would it be to have your birthday party on the moon?

Getting there would be half the fun--three days of weightless headstands and somersaults, as the guests watch the earth recede and turn into that familiar big blue marble and the moon get bigger and bigger as they sleep tethered to their spaceship.

But once they touch down on the lunar surface and don their space helmets and moon boots, it's time to climb out, ready to party hearty. But it's your birthday, so....

It's one small step for the birthday boy!

By the bright light of earthshine under the black sky of space, the party goers can peer into asteroid craters, jump six times higher than on earth, and throw a ball out of sight. And for party games, there's the potential for a super space scavenger hunt, looking for the footprints of the Apollo astronauts, the flags they planted, and the stuff they left behind:

... twelve sets of space boots, a four-leaf clover, a falcon feather, a moon buggy,

astronaut Alan Shepherd's two golf balls, a recorded message from the Queen of England....

And who can resist making moon-dust angels on the moon's surface!

But back in the moon lander, it's time for the birthday cake and birthday wishes.

There's one small problem. Candles won't light without air.

There's air inside your rocket, but you may not want to waste it on candles!

Although you may not want to wait for Pizza Inn to deliver your pizzas, in Joyce Lapin's brand-new birthday book, If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon (Sterling Children's Books, 2019), there's all this and more to do at a lunar birthday party, along with plenty of space fact-boxes to make this one great science field trip/birthday bash. Author Lapin adds an appendix, with glossary, bibliography, suggested reading list, and links to videos to watch the Apollo moon walkers having lunar fun, and artist Simona Ceccarelli makes the most of the chance to show giddy party guests making the most of their lunar near-weightless high jinxs--all of which are the party-style wrappings for what is a fact-filled nonfiction outing.

All Wet!: Big Brown Bear's Birthday Surprise by David McPhail

"What a good idea, Rat," said Bear. "I do love a picnic. What a special day!"

"Indeed," said Rat. "Today is someone's birthday! It's yours!"

"Really?" asked Bear. "How do you know?"

"I remembered from last year. Birthdays are always on the same day.

"Amazing," said Bear.

Bear is pleased that his friend Rat has made him a birthday lunch and has a surprise present for him.

"It begins with B!" Rat hints.

Bear hides his eyes, and while Rat rummages in the hamper for his gift, a loose rowboat floats down the river and bumps into the bank beside the two picnickers. Bear opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is the boat. Excitedly, Bear thanks Rat. Saying it's just what he's always wanted, Bear jumps on board and mans the oars. Protesting that the boat is not his gift, Rat has no choice but to jump into the boat, too, as Bear declares that he is going to row upstream and return the boat to its owner.

Before they get too far, a straw hat and a fishing pole also come floating down the river. Bear claims them, claps the hat on his head and declaring that he loves to fish, he tosses out the line while Rat takes over the rowing. But Bear has hardly deployed his bait before they meet a burly man floating dejectedly downstream on a log.

"Hey! That's my hat you're wearing!" the man shouted.

And as Bear tosses him the hat, the man notices that Bear also has possession of his boat and fishing gear, too. Bear offer both to him, but when the man clambers onboard the little rowboat, it starts taking on water, and soon the vessel is swamped.

Rat and Bear and the boat are sunk.

Is Rat's birthday celebration for Bear all wet?

But the party is not a washout after all, in David McPhail's latest in series, Big Brown Bear's Birthday Surprise (reader) (Green Light Readers Level 2) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018). Back on the bank, Rat's hamper is still high and dry, and inside is his gift, a BALL. He presents it to Big Brown Bear apologetically.

"It's not much of a present. Not compared to a boat," said Rat.

"Boats are all right," said Bear. "But they sink."

David McPhail is the unabashed baron of bear stories, and this one in his beginning reader Big Brown Bear series is as sweet and droll as his previous ursine entries. McPhail's unlikely buddies, Big Brown Bear and Rat, are reminiscent of Arnold Lobel's timeless Frog and Toad early readers, and youngsters just venturing into independent reading will enjoy the easy-going back-and-forth dialog, reinforced by artist McPhail's inimitable illustrations that offer clear sight clues for the text.

The first book in this popular beginner series is Big Brown Bear (Green Light Readers Level 1).

WAIT FOR IT! Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed To Open This Box by David Goodner

GINNY GOBLIN IS NOT ALLOWED TO OPEN THIS BOX.

NOT UNTIL DINNERTIME.

The box is s-o-o nifty. It's perfectly round, it's sorta pinkish, and it has a tag on it. What's not to like?

But what's in it?

Ginny's just itching to get her little green hands on that box.. But Mom and Dad just stand there, watching... watching... and thinking....

"What if we put the box way up?"

Now the box is way up on a high shelf... and Ginny is green with curiosity. What if she pushed that chair....

Stop! That's not allowed. She's got to wait ALL day--till dinnertime.

To make sure she waits, the box goes on a shelf in a locked room. HA! A locked door never stopped a ninja with a grappling hook with a rope to climb....

No. Parents do that.

But Ginny doesn't give up. There are WAYS.... A catapult--YES! But her best design poops out on Ginny when she aims herself at the castle tower where Mom and Dad have put the cake. SMACK!

But Ginny has plenty more plans. She can chop down the forest, build a battering ram to breach the gates, and craft a ramp to drive her scooter to the top of the tower, where....

Whooops! What goes up can come down--fast! And hard!

Ginny Goblin isn't allowed to just walk away, is she?

Can she do that?

Yes, she can, in David Goodner's forthcoming Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018).

If I don't get to find out what's in that box, I'm going to EXPLODE.

By this time, even Ginny the Goblin's sly narrator is dying to see what's in that box, while Ginny plays it cool, sweetly washing up for dinner without being told.

Ginny is a cute little goblin with two fangs, tiny horns, and one raggedy pointy ear, one who barely endures the suspense until it's time to open that mystery box. By the time that Ginny finally eats all her peas to earn the right to open that box, nobody is going to be too surprised by what she finds what's inside. But the fun is in getting to that first bite of birthday cake, in this quirky little critter tale of a tot who'll do a lot to collect her cake, and nobody goes home without having had a good time. Charming comic pictures by illustrator Louis Thomas capture the fun of this story of anticipation and gratification delayed.

Duck's Big Day! Click, Clack, SURPRISE! by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

IT'S A VERY BIG DAY ON THE FARM.

THE CAKE IS BAKING.

STREAMERS ARE STREAMING. MICE ARE FLOATING PAST THE WINDOW....

Mice floating past the windows? Yes, actually. It seems the mice have been assigned the task of decorating with the helium balloons for what looks to be a birthday party, and they've gotten, er, carried away with the job. Signs are posted, with strange disclaimers from "neigh"-saying deniers added in bold marker.

       YOU'RE INVITED TO

LITTLE DUCK'S BIRTHDAY PARTY!
GAMES!                              PRIZES!

PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY. (Cancelled by Donkey)

But with the mice rounded up and the balloons tied down, it's time for the party guests to get all gussied up for the occasion. Farmer Brown wears his brand-new straw hat. All the yellow ducks take a long bubble bath. A party novice, Little Duck watches and follows the lead, rub-a-dubbing in the tub, too. The sheep go for a shearing, and Little Duck gets his topknot clipped, too.

Cat gives her fur a lick, and Duck does a lick, too. The chickens take a dust bath, shimmy-shaking their tail feathers, and Little Duck shakes his tail, too. The pigs choose a mud bath, and Little Duck joins in a squishy and squashy session. Then they all walk to the party under the maple tree, where Farmer Brown is lighting the candles on his cake.

But the host and party guests are the ones are the ones to get a surprise, when the guest of honor shows up, drippy, damp with duck spit, muddy, dusty, and totally disheveled just as the gang is ready to sing Happy Birthday, Dear Little Duckie!

EEUUUWWWWW!

It's a surprise, all right, in Doreen Cronin's eleventh book in her best-selling series, Click, Clack, Surprise! (Atheneum Books, 2016). Artist Betsy Lewin carries most of the load in this continuing collaborative surprise party tale, with her humorous illustrations fleshing out this simple down-on-the farm story with clever wit and the familiar comic characters who have delighted youngsters for a couple of decades. Says School Library Journal, "Readers are likely to get caught up in the onomatopoetic fun and may be inspired by Lewin's energetic watercolors to wiggle, shake, and strut along with the animals."

Cronin and Lewin's first best-seller together was Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and since that time have turned out many kid-pleasing stories of Farmer Brown and friends (see more reviews here).