Review: Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Ages 8-12
Baking a fluffy pink cupcake is awesome, but wearing a dress that looks like one? No, thank you!
Cousins Willow and Delia can't wait to spend a week vacationing together with their families. Their aunt is getting married, and Willow and Delia are hoping their tasty baked goods will be enough to get them out of being flower girls in the wedding.
But with a mischievous little brother, a bacon-loving dog, and a misbehaving blender in the mix, their treats don't exactly turn out as planned. When a real emergency threatens to ruin the wedding, will their baking skills be enough to save the day?
Join Willow and Delia in the kitchen by following their scrumptious recipes for whoopee pies, peach pancakes, and other tasty treats!

MY TAKE:
As someone who likes baking and is very good friends with her cousin, I thought this book sounded pretty interesting.

In Cupcake Cousins, Willow and Delia are cousins with a mutual love of baking. When their aunt decides to get married, they are asked to be flower girls. Willow and Delia, however, absolutely abhor their dresses. They decide to convince their aunt that their culinary talents are wasted on being flower girls. The thing is, everything they try to do doesn't end up so good. How will they convince their aunt that they're better off cooking than being flower girls?

I can certainly picture this book as a Disney Channel Original Movie. There's cooking, baking, family, love, and a challenge. I think there are also a lot of kids who may be able to relate to the angle of parents losing their jobs because of the recession and tension between parents because of money.

While the book is about Willow and Delia, the focus of the book is mostly on Willow. That's okay, because younger girls may find it easier to follow the story this way. However, I personally like Delia's personality more than Willow's so there were moments when Willow irked me. It's nice, though, that the two girls eventually realized that there are other more important things in life than their desire not to be flower girls.

Because I really like to bake, my favorite part of the books were the recipes. They sound delicious and from what I can tell, they're easy enough for children to make, even with minimal adult supervision.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for the e-ARC. Publication date of Cupcake Cousins is on May 13, 2014.

THE GOOD:

1. Lots of kids may be able to relate to the characters.
2. There's a little bit of mystery in the book.
3. The recipes look easy to make.

THE BAD:

1.  Willow can be annoying.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

They arranged baby quiches made of spinach and bacon on one, and long bacon-wrapped asparagus spears on the other. 

READ IT IF:

1. Your kid likes baking.
2. Your kids are good friends with their cousins.
3. You're looking for a book for your young daughter that will keep her preoccupied for awhile.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?