Cake for Everyone
by Thé Tjong-Khing; illus. by the author
Primary    Gecko    32 pp.
8/24    9781776575930    $18.99

An entourage of well-dressed animals sets out for a festive picnic in this wordless Dutch import. Just as they begin cake-baking and merry-making, an eagle swoops down (on the title page) and snags their picnic blanket and, with it, the animals’ signature possessions—the pig’s parasol, the frog pair’s soccer ball, the poodle’s purse, and so on—casting doubt on the titular promise of “cake for everyone.” When the eagle drops everything off a cliff, high jinks ensue. As the animals hunt down their belongings, readers enjoy Tjong-Khing’s Where’s Waldo–like visual puzzle. But what’s the viewer’s best strategy? Track one animal at a time or immerse oneself in the simultaneous chases that unfold over multiple page-turns? There are no wrong answers, and indeed many opportunities for re-reading. Soft pastel-colored scenes with fine black outlines invite repeat readings and reward careful viewers with a myriad of hidden surprises. In the end, there is, indeed, cake for everyone—even the trouble-making snake and gorilla.

From the ">November/December 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.