Sunday Sweets: Reading Rocks
May 31, 2009 This past week I read a story on how rapper Kanye West is a "proud non-reader" and, despite the fact that he recently wrote a 52-page book of "Kanye-isms" that he would like you to buy and read yourself, he has "no respect" for books. Or to put it in his own words,
That's good, Kanye, since it's a right pain to get a book to even hold a pen, much less autograph itself.
Anyhoo, after banging my head against the desk and weeping for future generations, I decided that today we should celebrate those authors and illustrators who made (and make) reading so much fun during our early years.
Remember The Very Hungry Caterpillar
[swooning] Just lookit those teensy little feet! And how perfectly the greens swirl together!
.Here's a side view:
Love that big orange nose. (There's another WTWTA Sweet here, too.)Here are a few that look like the book itself:
I like how the curtain goes from 2D to 3D - very nice.Zita H. found this next one on Cake Central, but she didn't say by which baker. Let me know who I should credit if you recognize it:
I especially like how the "book" looks a little careworn - as if it's been read many times. I'm going to give the baker the benefit of the doubt and assume that's intentional. ;)
Here's some more Dr. Seuss, this time courtesy of Debbie Does Cakes:
Amazing.
I was hoping we'd have some Golden Books represented today, and luckily Hey You delivered with this Poky Little Puppy inspired cutie:
This was made by her friend Stacey, and you can see more pictures of it and the party here.
I've had this Babar
I love everything: the colors, the outlining, the garland... just exquisite.
And finally, how about a little love for Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit?
He looks like felt, doesn't he? That's some gorgeous figure modeling!(By Cheryl of Heavenly Confections.)
Reader Comments (208)
Absolutely fantastic! Inspiring.
I'm thinking we could have a design bake-off at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair - the families and kids would love it! We'll have to run it past the event committee.
Mary
Chicago Toy and Game Fair
Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. You have the ability to influence thousands upon thousands of disadvantaged youth, yet you decide to tell them that reading sucks. Shame on you. I don't even know why your famous except for your temper tantrums and huge ego. Get off your high horse. PS - The cakes ROCK! Especially the Babar cake. Love your blog!
I am an author of romance and fantasy novels and it drives me absolutely crazy when "pop culture icons" say stupid things like "I'm a proud non-reader." Okay, whether he likes it or not, he's a role model and it's hard enough to get young kids to read without some one they admire (for good or ill) to discourage them!
Okay, sorry about the soap box.
I love, love, love your site and thank you so MUCH for celebrating books and reading!
Beautiful cakes! Unfortunately, the sentiment expressed by Kanye is not that uncommon. This pervasive anti-intellectualism causes masses of people to vote down library budgets. They don't see a problem when officials close or fail to fund libraries in their schools. They brag about not reading and not using libraries. There are fewer and fewer people carrying the literacy banner. We have much work to do. We can't just "let them eat cake!"
i like it, look delicious
Oh, I love those cakes. Remarkable!! My sisters and I just got through discussing on Facebook the fifteen books that have shaped our lives, and there is an incredible list. I couldn't stop at fifteen. We may not be bajillionaires like Mr. West, but we are richer in heart for having a love and respect for books. I too worry about the younger generations and the things they have made their priorities.
And BTW, I adore your site. It's always great for a laugh.
I'd send pictures of my Niece and Nephews cakewrecks, but they are only kids, so it's expected that their cakes look a little wonky.
Erin G.
How pretty and whimsical! :D
As a Literatures in English major and an avid reader I weep for my generation and those to come too Jen.
One should be ashamed to say something like "proud non-reader".
WV: agsbye -- like Agatha Christie and The Great Gatsby combined...
This demonstrates that as readers we can HAVE our cake and EAT it, too. Take that, KW!
LLDonna
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1324571
the dr suess book with the one fish... is by jrule i believe... the link if you have a cake central name and password is linked above! Hope that helps!
That Poky Little Puppy cake is AMAZING! I can't believe it was made by someone who wasn't a professional cake decorator. Just beautiful...hmmm, maybe I should do something like that for my kid's next party??! HHHAAAAHHAHAHAHA! Okay, now that I'm done ROFLMAO, I'm gonna go look up the number of the Kroger bakery...
wow, those cakes are amazing indeed!
Those Dr. Seuss cakes ROCK!
Not like that horrible "baby in a snail car" thing from a previous post.
Kanye West is a moron...and not ONLY for what he said about reading! I'm sure his mother and former teachers are ashamed!
That Kanye West should be kicked in the face till he bleeds to death. This would serve the double purpose of not having him produce his "music" anymore, either.
On the up side, cakes made of books! Yum! I wish someone would make the bunny from 'Guess how much I love you' - it might not be as cute as that last one of Peter Rabbit (DARLING), but I just love that bunny!
Another awesome one would be a Very Busy Richard Scarry cake - there'd be so much going on!
Awsome! How fabulous!
Kanye West is a d-bag.
These cakes are F A B U L O U S! I cannot wait to share this link with members of our book club!
This has to be my favorite Sunday Sweets thus far. :) I love them all!!
"I would never want a book's autograph."
WHAT
Annnnnyyyway, the cakes are stellar.
My nephew likes to call that particular Wild Thing "Bernard"; we both have a stuffed version! I didn't know they actually had official names, though.
WV - "blers": the mood you are in after you break up with your boyfriend for being too clingy and then he calls you 50 times in five hours. (Don't ask how I know that...)
Cakes are awesomely beautiful and bring back lovely memories of reading to my son. That yellow bow on the Babar cake is, indeed, exquisite! And... for the record... I wouldn't help Kanye West across the street. Boo-hiss!
I adore the Peter Rabbit.
So I suppose that this means that Kayne won't be offered a chance to be on one of ALA's Read posters. I'm sure his mother would be SO proud. (sarcasm)
WV - Vulak:The vulcan version of a hairball.
I think I teared up a little bit when I saw the Poky Little Puppy cake. That is my all time favorite book from childhood. That cake is sheer perfection.
Unlike Kanye.
Love to read, love cake, love your site! I *am* frightened by one thing, though. I followed your link over to CakeCentral thinking I'd be in heaven. Instead, I'm having nightmares. What is with those peoples' addiction/fascination with cake mixes??!? I don't care how many boxes of instant pudding you add to it, the stuff still tastes like a wad of artificial flavoring and preservatives--in fact, the instant "pudding" just makes it worse. Bleah! I still want the Peter Rabbit cake, just tell me it isn't made with a cake mix. Please!
oh my gosh, that Very Hungry Caterpillar cake... and the Babar!! utterly perfect, both of them. i am dying over here.
Love these :)
WV: lintips: These amazing childhood cakes make me tingle all the way to my lintips...
These are just gorgeous. Boo on anyone who doesn't understand the joy of reading.
To think that Hey You's friend Stacey is not a professional would be erroneous. Though she is a friend and does make special cakes in her home, she is indeed a professional and a gifted artist as evidenced by Pokey Little Puppy. The wonderful thing is not only do her cakes look beautiful, they taste very good too. Every one she makes, leaves me thinking its my favorite, but this one is hard to top.
I am proud to say that my children knew what books these were from and yes they LIKE to read!
Linda
Ruby Slippers, I like the Richard Scarry cake idea! Or Curious George, or Pat the Bunny...or Madeleine! But please, no Kanye West cakes, ever.
This post confirmed two very important things for me, which I already knew before:
1) Kanye West is a total IDIOT.
2) Books inspire magnificent things!
These cakes are absolutely beautiful. The peter rabbit one is my personal favorite.
*squealing with delight* I love it! Especially the caterpillar and Poky Puppy.
Those are a FABULOUS tribute to the books we all know and LOVE. Kanye can kiss my rats. My kiddo is sitting on my lap as we speak "reading" his book...at 2. So, thanks for posting these! I think my fav is the Poky Puppy...he just holds a special place to me!
Holy crap, those are some great cakes!! One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was one of my two favorites growing up, and Poky Little Puppy was my hubby's favorite :) Thanks for sharing the pics with us!!
These are all classics of children's literature. If you're baking and you need more inspiration for your next cake, take a look at my booklist of classics on author James Patterson's spectacular website, www.ReadKiddoRead.com. When you get to the home page, click on COMMUNITY and then LISTS, and you'll find it. James Patterson, unlike Kanye, is a published author who LOVES to read and has started a website for parents, teachers, librarians, and kids. There are already 200+ extensive reviews of un-put-downable kids' books on the site, plus annotated booklists, interviews with famous children's book authors, and way more. Off my soapbox and on my way to find a cupcake somewhere. . .
Judy Freeman
ReadKiddoRead Reviewer
www.ReadKiddoRead.com
www.JudyReadsBooks.com
I love the story book cakes. They are all amazing!
Terri Hoover Dunham
The Legend of Papa Noel: A Cajun Christmas Story
www.terrisbooks.com
Fantastic!
We especially enjoyed the call to action at the end!
Best,
Dana
www.raisingareaderma.org
That pokey puppy cake is just darling and I LOVE that caterpillar! who would have thought that cupcakes could be so appropriate!
If you aren't familiar with the international Edible Books Festival, be sure to check out their website www.Books2Eat.com
We also have our own festival page at http://library.duke.edu/about/depts/preservation/edible.html
Oh hey, Night Kitchen is right near me! We buy cookies and stuff there all the time. I'm glad they got a cake on Sunday Sweets here.
I first saw the Dr Seuss fish cake on here - I think this is the baker http://diullbar22.deviantart.com/art/Dr-Seuss-book-cake-113374036
Sophie H.
Thank you for these photos - love them. I am so pleased to read in the 'Comments' (yes all 190 of them) just how many people said Pokey Little Puppy had been their favorite book. It was one of mine too. I'm always amazed that I wasn't exposed to all the books considered children's classics. I wasn't really deprived or anything - just lived in a very small town / rural area with only the library books in each elementary classroom plus a bookmobile from 20 miles away. I've always been a reader but the only book titles I can remember from childhood were Golden Books: Pokey Little Puppy - Saggy Baggy Elephant - & Shy Little Kitten.
Someone posted " How about The Tawny Scrawny Lion and The Saggy Baggy Elephant ? " I second the motion !
They're all beautiful, but that Very Hungry Caterpillar cake gave me chills. Gorgeous. I want it, but I'd never let it be eaten!
Found it! The wonderful Dr Seuss cake was done by CakeCentral.com member 'loli' (http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-forum-userprofile-144343.html).
And by the by...I really love your blog...I've spent many (too many really) hours pouring over your photos and comments - a riot!!!
I live in The Netherlands, so we don't see a lot of American style cakes, with the inscriptions, and if so, not in English....but I still stay vigilant that I can become a Wreckporter one day as well!!
Happy caking!
Tanja Schuurman Robinson
What an incredible gallery of cakes! The Hungry Caterpillar one is my favourite, though the Beatrix Potter one is amazing as well.
the caterpillar is so CUTE!...
But Jen, I thought you hated CCC
One shell, two shell, red shell, blue shell, death-on-swift-wings-comes-for-you shell!
http://www.youtube.com/rockpapercynic#play/uploads/5/8SEfmhcD8pE
It's the last vid on the upload list. I'm sorry. I can't think Dr. Suess without thinking of this... Staying anonymous so I don't look like a geek. 'Cause I am. I really am.
I stumbled on the Babar cake here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosey_sugar_palace/1798269231/in/set-72157600810755554/
Absolutely beautiful cakes and cookies!
Kanye's mother was not only an English teacher, she was a professor and the head of a college English department. I think the poor woman must be rolling in her grave.
Like another poster here, I threw a "storybook" birthday party (for my 6-year-old niece). Everyone dressed up as storybook characters, and I made a book-shaped cake--that was NOWHERE near the caliber of the gorgeous ones on this site!
OH MY GOODNESS! SOO many wonderful things I loved as a child!! (And still do, to be honets!)
The awesomeness cannot be expressed!
Yeah, I'm kind of at the opposite spectrum from Kanye with regards to those statements, lol.