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Parker Brothers Story Book: Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake and the Birthday Surprise
Raspberry Tart is convinced that all her friends have forgotten her birthday when she tries in vain to find someone to play with.
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL31661...
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL31661...
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
42 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 27, 2011
Raspberry Tart speaks sharply with her friends when they are sweet towards her yet she believes they have forgotten her birthday. Her reactions are bratty, i.e., "Who cares about that little Angel Cake anyway. I'll find someone better to play with," and "I will always remember how everybody forgot my birthday! They will be sorry that they were so mean to me!" The turn around end was lacking any remorse, "What a lucky girl I am. Friends don't usually forget arch other's special days." This would be a book to skip unless accompanied with a discussion of the error Raspberry Tart makes in self-centeredness and turning on her friends. A good friend COULD forget a special day. Raspberry Tart could learn what a friend really is and more about being a good one herself.
July 27, 2018
Strawberry Shortcake and the Birthday Surprise (Updated)
Raspberry is laying awake in bed thinking about her birthday tomorrow. Last year, there were special treats, and a bicycle. Everyone had fun helping with her party but this year no one’s said anything about it. Raspberry wonders if all the others-including Strawberry- will forget all about her.
When Raspberry finally falls asleep, she has a dream of all her friends throwing her a party. They’re all there (Angel Cake, Orange Blossom, Lemon Merage, Blueberry Muffin, and Strawberry Shortcake). There are streamers, laughter, and lots of presents. All the pets are there too.
When she wakes up the next day, the house is quiet and no one comes by. So, she decides to call her friends. She calls Blueberry but she says she’s too busy to have her come over. She’s making pies. So, she calls Orange Blossom and asks can she meet her at the park. She says she’d like to but she has a important painting that she has to finish by three. Raspberry says she’s sure she can find someone who’s not so busy and hangs up the call.
Thinking she’ll have better luck if she just shows up, she goes to Angel Cake’s and invites her to go to the park. Angel Cake tells her she can’t today. Raspberry tells Rhubarb she doesn’t need her and she’ll find someone better to hang out with. The next friend’s house she goes to is Lemon’s. She asks Lemon to go to the park. Lemon says she’d like to but she has to wash her hair for a special party she’s going to later and she wants to look pretty. Raspberry thinks why does Lemon get to go to a party. It’s *her* birthday. NOT FAIR!
The last friend she tries is Huckleberry but there’s a sign on his door that says he’s gone fishing with Strawberry. Raspberry sits on his poarch and starts to cry. She says they’ll regret being so mean to her on her birthday. Raspberry tells Rhubarb forget them. We’ll have our own party. We’ll go to the park, make some mud pies and seed cakes, and we’ll invite some birds, and climb some trees. Rhubarb likes this plan and starts to clap and off they go.
At the park, Rhubarb sees a tree with a nest in it and two baby birds and motions for Raspberry to come look. But she slips trying to climb up and decides she’s had enough of the park and tree climbing. Everything seems to be going wrong. On the way home, Raspberry passes by a store and says if no one else will buy her a present, she’ll buy herself one. It’ll cheer her up. (Always works for me!) She finally chooses a sea shell bracelet and admires it all the way home. Looking at it does make her feel better.
She gets home and decides its been a long day and she’ll take a nap. There waiting on her front step is Strawberry with a bunch of flowers and she tells her Happy Birthday. When she walks in all her friends are there and in the corner is a big pile of presents. Now Raspberry sees that her friends hadn’t forgotten her at all. They were just trying to surprise her. Strawberry leads them to the cake and they sing happy birthday and Raspberry blows out the candles.
She opens all her presents and they all play pin the tail on the donkey. After that, they have a balloon blowing contest. Then Strawberry reads Raspberry a poem. When the party is over, Raspberry waves goodbye to her friends. Raspberry gets one more surprise. Strawberry decides to sleep over that night. In bed, Raspberry reminces on the day and thinks she’s the happiest girl in Strawberry Land.
My Thoughts:
I’ve never had a surprise party but I think I’d know enough to know that someone was throwing me one because here’s the thing when people usually start doing things out of character around your birthday it usually means that’s what’s going on. But what’s even stranger is that people never seem to some reason even SUSPECT this. They know it’s something but interestingly they don’t automatically think oh they’re trying to throw me a surprise party. It happened so I heard to a cousin of mine this year.
This one was a nice one! That cake looked GOOD! I was disappointed that they didn’t tell what the presents were. That would have been the best part. I did love the seashell bracelet she gave herself tho. I want one of those! And I am ALL FOR giving yourself presents to cheer yourself up. If you don’t know try it sometimes. It’s the best thing. And I think it’s a good lesson not to depend on people to do stuff for you. In this case, Raspberry had some great friends but there’s nothing like the feeling for knowing that you can make your own self happy and don’t have to depend on anyone else. So, I liked that she thew her own slef a party with her pet.
Rating: 7
Raspberry is laying awake in bed thinking about her birthday tomorrow. Last year, there were special treats, and a bicycle. Everyone had fun helping with her party but this year no one’s said anything about it. Raspberry wonders if all the others-including Strawberry- will forget all about her.
When Raspberry finally falls asleep, she has a dream of all her friends throwing her a party. They’re all there (Angel Cake, Orange Blossom, Lemon Merage, Blueberry Muffin, and Strawberry Shortcake). There are streamers, laughter, and lots of presents. All the pets are there too.
When she wakes up the next day, the house is quiet and no one comes by. So, she decides to call her friends. She calls Blueberry but she says she’s too busy to have her come over. She’s making pies. So, she calls Orange Blossom and asks can she meet her at the park. She says she’d like to but she has a important painting that she has to finish by three. Raspberry says she’s sure she can find someone who’s not so busy and hangs up the call.
Thinking she’ll have better luck if she just shows up, she goes to Angel Cake’s and invites her to go to the park. Angel Cake tells her she can’t today. Raspberry tells Rhubarb she doesn’t need her and she’ll find someone better to hang out with. The next friend’s house she goes to is Lemon’s. She asks Lemon to go to the park. Lemon says she’d like to but she has to wash her hair for a special party she’s going to later and she wants to look pretty. Raspberry thinks why does Lemon get to go to a party. It’s *her* birthday. NOT FAIR!
The last friend she tries is Huckleberry but there’s a sign on his door that says he’s gone fishing with Strawberry. Raspberry sits on his poarch and starts to cry. She says they’ll regret being so mean to her on her birthday. Raspberry tells Rhubarb forget them. We’ll have our own party. We’ll go to the park, make some mud pies and seed cakes, and we’ll invite some birds, and climb some trees. Rhubarb likes this plan and starts to clap and off they go.
At the park, Rhubarb sees a tree with a nest in it and two baby birds and motions for Raspberry to come look. But she slips trying to climb up and decides she’s had enough of the park and tree climbing. Everything seems to be going wrong. On the way home, Raspberry passes by a store and says if no one else will buy her a present, she’ll buy herself one. It’ll cheer her up. (Always works for me!) She finally chooses a sea shell bracelet and admires it all the way home. Looking at it does make her feel better.
She gets home and decides its been a long day and she’ll take a nap. There waiting on her front step is Strawberry with a bunch of flowers and she tells her Happy Birthday. When she walks in all her friends are there and in the corner is a big pile of presents. Now Raspberry sees that her friends hadn’t forgotten her at all. They were just trying to surprise her. Strawberry leads them to the cake and they sing happy birthday and Raspberry blows out the candles.
She opens all her presents and they all play pin the tail on the donkey. After that, they have a balloon blowing contest. Then Strawberry reads Raspberry a poem. When the party is over, Raspberry waves goodbye to her friends. Raspberry gets one more surprise. Strawberry decides to sleep over that night. In bed, Raspberry reminces on the day and thinks she’s the happiest girl in Strawberry Land.
My Thoughts:
I’ve never had a surprise party but I think I’d know enough to know that someone was throwing me one because here’s the thing when people usually start doing things out of character around your birthday it usually means that’s what’s going on. But what’s even stranger is that people never seem to some reason even SUSPECT this. They know it’s something but interestingly they don’t automatically think oh they’re trying to throw me a surprise party. It happened so I heard to a cousin of mine this year.
This one was a nice one! That cake looked GOOD! I was disappointed that they didn’t tell what the presents were. That would have been the best part. I did love the seashell bracelet she gave herself tho. I want one of those! And I am ALL FOR giving yourself presents to cheer yourself up. If you don’t know try it sometimes. It’s the best thing. And I think it’s a good lesson not to depend on people to do stuff for you. In this case, Raspberry had some great friends but there’s nothing like the feeling for knowing that you can make your own self happy and don’t have to depend on anyone else. So, I liked that she thew her own slef a party with her pet.
Rating: 7
May 23, 2022
Incredibly fun and adorable birthday book including all of my favorite Strawberry Shortcake characters. I loved that Raspberry Tart was the main character (besides Strawberry Shortcake, she's my favorite) and it was all about her surprise birthday party with friends. The colorful and lively illustrations just made me smile all the way through, even though I'm now 49, not 4 years old. So cute and I'm glad that I read it today on my birthday.
June 11, 2008
This was a favorite book as a child. I recently saw it again at my parent's house and was so excited. I was a big Strawberry Shortcake fan (wait! I think I still am!) growing up. I think I can relate all to well to Strawberry in this, as I tend to think others don't care, when most the time, I am too caught up in myself to see how much others do for me all the time.
February 21, 2010
We like the 'old' Strawberry and her friends. Surprises are for birthdays and friends are the best!
January 20, 2011
... another one of the children television series with accompanying story books. I really enjoyed these I think we also had the toys and the clothes and all....
March 27, 2012
I loved this book as a kid and now I get to share it with my niece.
Read
January 28, 2019This Parker Brothers series of Strawberry Shortcake books continues to surprise me. When I came across the series on eBay, I noticed all but one of the titles more or less corresponded to the TV specials. I think the first Strawberry Shortcake special was the one where SS thinks everyone forgot her birthday, but really they’re planning a surprise birthday party! This is a popular plot, but I think it’s rather cruel, as becomes apparent in this book. Friends don’t just act as if they’ve forgotten the day, they intentionally avoid and reject the birthday girl, just so they can shout surprise at the party. Ha ha, we made you feel like crap all day on your birthday, except for the few hours of the party. Happy Birthday!
In this book, it’s Raspberry Tart’s birthday. I think they made it RT, because Strawberry Shortcake is too perfect to show real emotions. Raspberry, on the other hand, has some resentful responses as each friend rejects her, culminating with her thinking, “They will be sorry they were so mean to me!” Good thing there was a party, or this could have gone dark. Notably, Strawberry Shortcake has a sign saying she’s out, so she never actually rejects Raspberry nor is she on the receiving end of Raspberry’s ire. Because she’s Strawberry Shortcake, and above such things.
This book was published three years after the TV special. Nice to see an original story, even one with a similar premise, rather than a book version of the TV show.
In this book, it’s Raspberry Tart’s birthday. I think they made it RT, because Strawberry Shortcake is too perfect to show real emotions. Raspberry, on the other hand, has some resentful responses as each friend rejects her, culminating with her thinking, “They will be sorry they were so mean to me!” Good thing there was a party, or this could have gone dark. Notably, Strawberry Shortcake has a sign saying she’s out, so she never actually rejects Raspberry nor is she on the receiving end of Raspberry’s ire. Because she’s Strawberry Shortcake, and above such things.
This book was published three years after the TV special. Nice to see an original story, even one with a similar premise, rather than a book version of the TV show.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews