Children's Book Review: Cupcake

Cupcake
Written by:  Charise Mericle Harper
Published by: Disney Hyperion Books, 2010
32 pages

from goodreads.com:
Poor vanilla Cupcake. He's feeling a bit drab next to his fancy friends. But when his new pal Candle comes along with some fresh ideas, the two concoct a plan to become the snazziest duo ever found on a plate!

* The author of this book, Charise Mericle Harper, is another local author of Westchester County, NY, that I didn't know about.  As I read this book, it reminded me of the children's book Tina Cocolina - Queen of the Cupcakes which I had read and reviewed recently.  It had pretty much the same storyline, where a cupcake is feeling plain compared to its friends, or in this case, family.  In Cupcake a candle who also feels plain commiserates with "Cupcake" and tries to offer suggestions for a special topping. At the end of the book there is a vanilla cupcake and buttercream frosting recipe, which I did not try.  I like the message that the book is trying to portray - it's okay to be yourself, and the importance of friendship. The kids enjoyed the cute cupcake illustrations and my daughter loved the sparkly cover.  However, the story overall was just okay in our opinion.

Family Rating: so-so.