The Cake That Mack Ate

by Rose Robart

With the same premise as Mother Goose's "This is the House That Jack Built," The Cake That Mack Ate builds on relationships and explains what goes into baking a cake in a fun, humorous way. Booklist called it "a perfect pre-school read-aloud," and School Library Journal said "will delight audiences."

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Food, Dogs, Animals, Pets

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Miloš]

Reading with mu daughter

[Jill]

Very clever add-on, cumulative story. (After we read it, and after my daughter repeated the cumulative story to me over and over, I found that it is recommended by Jim Trelease in his "Read-Aloud Handbook". I see why!).

[Kim Maksymuik]

Wonderful and whimsical. It was one of the first books my children read! It should be in every reader's collection of children's books!

[Andréa]

Twist at the end!

[Vivian]

This cumulative story (along the lines of The House That Jack Built) tells the story of a birthday cake, beginning with the cake and going backwards to the egg, the chicken, the corn, the seed, the farmer, the cook, the candles, and (drumroll to surprise ending) Mack, who is a dog!

[Alexis Sillman]

This book is super cute for young ones. It adds on as you flip the pages, so it is repetitive as well as it have very good pictures. This book is also good for asking questions for younger ones and to have them use their imagination!

[Michelle Breniser]

Fiction. PreK-2. This book builds on the same phrases plus a new one on each page. It tells a fun story of a dog that eats a cake. It helps new readers with building familiarity with the words. And I love a book with a cute dog at the end!

[Amanda Schwind]

This story follows the rhythm of "The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly," as it builds on itself.

[Miss Sarah]

A building rhyme where a cake is presented and then traced backward to the farmer who planted the seed that feed then hen. Loved the ending. Toddler and up.

[Lisa Mcbroom]

One of my favorites. Another take on The House that Jack Built, this delves into the making of a cake for the mysterious Mack. Great book on sequencing and great to use on the theme of mbirthdays.

[Brandy]

An old favorite from my guided reading days. I enjoy the inferencing skills used in the early reader.

[Kasia Klimczak]

I was pretty sure that the book was called "Max who ate the cake." And the book I have was smaller and it's blue cover instead of green. Once again the Mandela affect. 🤷‍♀️🤨

[Lu]

Repetitive backwards story showing the path of the cake ingredient of an egg.

Ending was unexpected.

Illustrations are nice. Looks like they were drawn by hand.

[Brianna Justice]

A fun book about a dog who eats a cake

[Tamara Raquel]

So cuteeeee for kids who are learning to read, loved it

4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Christen]

A great way to help students work on sequencing, this story is a slight spin on the "house that Jack built" premise. I pair this with "There Was an Old Lady" and "The Giant Turnip".

[Spotswims]

My all time favorite book as a kid! Every night before bed my dad would read me a book or 2 and this one I knew by heart even before learning how to read. I would sing it really fast and get my tongue all twisted. Funny how I can still remember most of the words and I haven't read this book in 13 years! I look forward to reading this to my future kids :)

[Stephanie]

Ella liked this book because it was about a dog named Mack. I liked it because it showed the cycle of how the egg was laid by the hen, who ate the corn, the corn seed that was planted by the farmer, who married the woman, who baked the cake that Mack ate. Naughty dog!

[Dolly]

This is a fun book that details how a cake came to be baked and then eaten. The steps are cumulative, so the narrative is repetitive and simple enough for beginning readers. It's a good book to read aloud.

[Jessica]

Great book to use to get students thinking about all of the things that go into making something. Talks about all the work that went into backing a cake that mack ate. Mack is a troublesome dog. Could be used to teach sequencing.

[Noel Echols]

The ingredients to make a cake are progressively sequenced and also where the ingredients came from. The sequence of events leads back to Mack, a dog, eating the cake that the farmers made. This story would showcase a progressive sequencing writing style and also be ideal for a sequencing activity.

[Amy]

A fun variation on the house that Jack built, the farmer's wife made a beautiful birthday cake full of candles, and then Mack ate it in a surprise ending. It's a good choice for early readers who are learning the rhythm of language and reading.

[Jason]

I was all set to give this two stars (I'm so over "house that jack built" piggyback stories) until the last illustration when the farmer and his wife are freaking out about the cake the dog ate. That was pretty funny.

[Andrea Keesey]

Best children's book ever! I used to read this one over and over and over and over and over and over... well, you get the idea.

[Stephanie]

cute book, funny ending about a dog, so Ella likes it.

[Hira]

details

[Ozge]

The illustrations! I love Mack at the end, looking sad and guilty.

[Maren Prestegaard]

A repetition book. Kinda cute but why does the farmer's wife always have to be plump?

[Dana Johnson]

Has great examples of rhyming. Easy read for English learners.

[Ali]

Good repetition book. Nice to beginning readers.