The Surprise Birthday Cake: A Friendly Forest Story

by John and Anne Maher, Anne Maher (illustrator), Adam Richey (illustrator)

Oh, what a birthday blunderFor a kangaroo to make!He's lost the long jump contestAnd crashed into the cake!The occasion is a birthday party, and Krasher the Kangaroo, Klingy the Koala, Frizzy and Dizzy the Sheep Twins, and all the Friendly Forest regulars are invited.When Dizzy challenges Krasher to a long jump contest and a blustery wind starts gusting, it's uh-oh time.Written in rhyme and illustrated in soft watercolours, THE SURPRISE BIRTHDAY CAKE is the first in a series of Friendly Forest Stories that invite reader and listener into a snug and affable world--a world in which kindness, ingenuity, and fun pave the way and win the day. Find out about the next stories in the series, THE DAY BUNNY BEAR LOST HER MEMORY, and THE FIRST SNOW MORNING TEA on the friendlyforestbooks.com website.The printed version of THE SURPRISE BIRTHDAY CAKE includes 9 pages of colouring and activity pages!About the authorsJohn and Anne Maher live in Australia, hold Master's degrees (Azusa Pacific University, University of Chicago), and have taught English as a Second Language on 3 continents. Because of their experience teaching English, they know the value of rhyme and rhythm in building language skills. And rhymes are fun! They give a child a sense of structure and mastery. Also, Anne and John live next to a small forest and there is at least one kangaroo living there, and they are pretty sure there's a koala as well.

46 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2023

Reviews

[Luna]

Beautiful story from down under

John and Anne Maher have written a really sweet and well illustrated story for kids .

"The Surprise Birthday Cake" is a delightful story set in the Friendly Forest, where Krasher the Kangaroo, Klingy the Koala, and their friends gather for a birthday party filled with fun, challenges, and a bit of chaos.

soft watercolor illustrations and engaging phrases, make this book invite young readers into a heartwarming world where kindness and creativity shine.

My kid loved it

[Aegelis]

Accidents Happen, but Friends are Forever

Colourfully illustrated in watercolour and hand-drawn style, this story kicks off a series with many forest characters. Here, we get insight into animal personalities as they celebrate a birthday. Themes such as friendship, forgiveness, and preparedness are all great lessons to share with kids. Some vocabulary may be a challenge for young children, and a few fonts with backgrounds and scaling were a bit difficult to see or read. Neat tale to read to kids before bedtime or on a rainy day, full of life and joy.

[Monique Blake]

Lovely!

This is a delightful book about friendship and forgiveness. The forest animals all gather for a special birthday, but there is an unfortunate accident that almost ruins it.

This is a cute rhyming story with lessons in friendship, teamwork, and forgiveness. The story is lots of fun, and the illustrations are beautifully done. My son really liked it.

[Shelli M]

A short tale with good reminders

This story has much to teach us. It’s best to stay humble and be careful rather than ruin someone else’s day. We need to remember how important it is to take in account other people’s feelings in all things.

[Latia Smith]

There can never be too much cake 🎂

Oh what a clumsy kangaroo! And luckily for all the forest friends there was not one cake, but two. I enjoyed the happy ending.

[Ramona Poole]

Fun Story

I really enjoyed this story and all of the rhymes. Kids will love this one and add more t to their story time.

[Jason C]

Wonderful Story

The charming narrative and colourful illustrations took me back to the innocence of my childhood. How wonderful to read a tale that was captivating and enthralling. A great bed time story for my young nieces.