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88th out of 93 books
—
205 voters
Apple Cake: A Recipe for Love
In this lovely valentine of a book, Julie Paschkis offers young readers a glimpse of the extraordinary world that can be hidden in the simplest of things. Alfonso loves his colorful, magical existence. He also loves the brilliant, beautiful Ida. But Ida, nose in a book, just doesn’t seem to notice. Can he win her heart with a cake of his own creation if the salt is gathere...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
September 4th 2012
by Harcourt Children's Books
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Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
A simple story about Ida, the never distracted book reader, and her lover Alfonso. In an attempt to catch her eye, Alfonso bakes Ida a cake with a most unusual process, including butter from the sun, flour from the stars, and salt from the sea. Against a simple white background, these small yet intricate, folk-art pictures are sure to stand out amidst other picture books. I suppose the story might be hard to accept for kids because some of the ingredients/baking steps...more
A simple story about Ida, the never distracted book reader, and her lover Alfonso. In an attempt to catch her eye, Alfonso bakes Ida a cake with a most unusual process, including butter from the sun, flour from the stars, and salt from the sea. Against a simple white background, these small yet intricate, folk-art pictures are sure to stand out amidst other picture books. I suppose the story might be hard to accept for kids because some of the ingredients/baking steps...more
Filled with lively gouache and ink illustrations that show the lengths to which Alfonso will go to get the bookish Ida to notice him, this picture book shows that the way to a reading woman's heart just may be through her stomach. After Alfonso tries and fails to capture her attention, he prepares a yummy apple pie that makes her put her book down. From my experience with bibliophiles--yes, I'm certainly one--it's just about impossible to get them to stop reading when they're engrossed in a book...more
I loved this book. Its about a boy, Aldonso, who is in love with a girl named Ida. He tried to get her attention but Ida's nose is always in her book. So he has an idea to get her attention by baker her an apple cake. He goes on many adventures and out of his way to bake the perfect cake for her, and when he is finally finished he wins her over. This is a sweet love story appropriate for young children. The illustrations are awesome, very spunky, colorful, and original. They are so good that you...more
This book is my choice for the 2013 Caldecott Medal because of the exquisite illustrations that tell a love story that can be admired by all ages. The story exudes a sense of magic about how far one will go to get the attention of the one they love. It's truly a distinguished picture book with a unique story-line that will take you on a visual experience. The last page of the book includes the recipe of the apple cake that Alfonzo made for Ida so the reader can share the magic that was created i...more
Lovely, intelligent Ida always has her nose stuck in a book. So how is Alfonso supposed to get her attention to tell her he loves her? He tries flowers and music. He finally decides to bake her a cake.
The story is that of a man in love gathering ingredients and mixing them together to make an apple cake for the woman he loves. Ida's nose peeks out over her book to smell the delicious smell. When Alfonso presents her with the cake Ida is surprised and pleased.
And of course they enjoy it together.
The story is that of a man in love gathering ingredients and mixing them together to make an apple cake for the woman he loves. Ida's nose peeks out over her book to smell the delicious smell. When Alfonso presents her with the cake Ida is surprised and pleased.
And of course they enjoy it together.
Things I love: Julie Paschkis' color sense, the wonderful use of white space, an almost formal design, and line; the butter-from-the-sun and sugar-from-the-clouds and salt-from-the-sea epic nature of this cake; that Alfonso and Ida have markedly different skin tones; the wishes in the ingredients and that one wish was bitter. Things I'm not sure about: well, here's another romance in a picture book. My first thought is always that that theme isn't appropriate for a picture book, but then again,...more
A beautiful imaginative tale about Alfonso who really wants to get Ida's attention, yet her head is always stuck in a book. So he bakes her an apple cake, but it's not just any apple cake. It's a very special magical apple cake. This is where the illustrations really add to the story. The text is simple (he adds apples, sugar, flour, etc) but the illustrations tell you how he got each ingredient and lengths he will go to make sure Ida's cake is perfect. A charming tale!
Jan 06, 2013
Ryan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lily, Bailey, Robin, Roy
Shelves:
for-grandchildren,
great-pictures
Baking is alot about loving, I think, whether its baking a cake for someone you love (even yourself) or baking WITH someone you love. Can't wait to take the adventure of baking this cake with my grandchildren - sifting flour from tower tops, getting butter from the sun and sugar from a cloud, a bit of salt from the ocean. Of course, some taste testing is necessary first - they aren't quite old enough - so the cake is baking right now.
oh my gosh, so cute. I love the whimsical, colorful illustrations on the mostly white background! This would be a great food storytime selection, so long as you have some kind of treat afterwards lol. I like that it actually tells how to make a cake but the illustrations also tell a story. It would be fun to say "where did he get the salt?" and the kids can call out the answer based on the picture.
Alfonso would go to any length to capture the attention and the affections of Ida. Perhaps going to any height and any depth to secure the perfect ingredients for an apple cake will do the trick.
The book also has a recipe for apple cake from Julia's great-great-grandmother which I made in my kitchen this afternoon. The aromas were out of this world and the cake was delicious.
The book also has a recipe for apple cake from Julia's great-great-grandmother which I made in my kitchen this afternoon. The aromas were out of this world and the cake was delicious.
I found the illustrations to be unique and wonderful. I can picture parents sitting with their young ones in their laps talking about what is going on with Alfonso as he bakes his apple cake. What fun! My storytimes tend to have too big a group for this one to work, but I will definitely be putting it where patrons will find it and (hopefully) take it home.
Alfonso's attempt to woo the lovely, bookish Ida is simple, sweet and appealing, but it's Paschkis' illustrations that give the story a broad and gorgeous scope. I especially loved the spread of him spooning salt out of the sea... And the recipe at the end is a very nice, inclusive addition. Not deep or profound, but terribly charming.
Appeal Characteristics, Multi-Cultural, Weirdly Unique...
If I was a child (or the child I was) would have loved this book! I think I also love it because the love interest (was significantly darker) so you could imagine a few cultures she could be. You just don't know. Well, at least that's how I imagined it.
If I was a child (or the child I was) would have loved this book! I think I also love it because the love interest (was significantly darker) so you could imagine a few cultures she could be. You just don't know. Well, at least that's how I imagined it.
So sweet and whimsical. Ida always had her nose in a book... She never seemed to notice Alfonso. But, Alfonso would do anything and go anywhere for his sweetheart. From his heart, he bakes an unusual apple cake... that gets Ida to finally look up from her book and into the eyes of Alfonso. Aww.
Julie Paschkis has taken a story and a recipe of her great-grandmother’s to create a sweet love story of courtship by baking a cake. The pictures look as if they could be on a set of dishes, telling a story, and serving up food as well as love. It’s a very sweet book.
Alfonso wants to get Ida's attention, but her nose is always in a book. He decides to make her an apple cake. The illustrations are wonderful, as Alfonso goes to the far ends of the world to get the ingredients for the cake. Would be a good read-aloud for Valentine's Day.
This is definitely not a story time book for me, because the storyline is above the heads and interest level of babies and toddlers, and because the text is too minimal to work for my older listeners. It's a sweet book, but I think adults will enjoy it more than kids.
Such a dear, sweet book about seeing the wonder in unusual places and about doing whatever it takes to reach your goal. The world needs more Alfonsos in it! The apple cake recipe is an added bonus to this lovely book.
No matter how Alfonso woos Ida, Ida won't looke up from her book so he decides to bake her an apple cake. Charming illustrations. Sweet, simple story. Includes a recipe for apple cake.
themes: cake, love
themes: cake, love
An earnest young man tries to win the attention of his true love with apple cake. Whimsical illustrations. The book comes with a recipe I am going to try, may earn another star if it's delicious :)
I give this five stars for the illustrations alone. They are unique and stunning, and the story is sweet to. (Although my copy had pages falling out so the construction has something to be desired.
Super sweet little love story with cheerful, imaginative illustrations. Plus there's a recipe. Extra points for having it be an interracial couple.
Apple Cake is a recipe-based love story set off by fresh, sweet watercolors. I'll have to wait until after Lent to try the recipe, though.
Alonso will do anything to attract Ida's attention, so he travels through his imagination to bake her a cake. Playful illustrations.
I liked the colorful, whimsical illustrations, but I doubt very many children will be interested in the romance theme of the story.
A story as simple as the recipe it whips up, but with a refreshing dose of whimsy in its illustrations.
Cute story. Imaginative. And the illustrations were beautiful! Plus a recipe for apple cake at the end.
Julie Paschkis is such a wonderful artist! Her artwork is always so richly detailed and whimsical. Just love it.
Wonderfully imaginative pictures bring this simple love story (and recipe) to life.
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