Thematic Reading List: Cake Day!

Cake is one of the most common celebratory foods, especially on birthdays. In honor of National Cake Day (November 26), this list is designed to help children ages five and under to learn about cake. These fiction titles introduce birthday cake, how cakes are designed, and how cakes bring people together. Families will love reading these books together and become inspired to make cakes of their own!
Contributed by: Mary Lanni
 
 
 
 
 

	Bears and a Birthday By: Shirley Parenteau Illustrated by: David Walker Little bears Floppy, Fuzzy, Yellow, and Calico secretly prepare a birthday cake and gift for Big Brown Bear, whose curiosity is piqued by delicious smells.
	The Great Cake: a touch-and-learn book By: Sherry Gerstein Illustrated by: Andy Bennett Yao and Rico bake Oppenheimer the dog a cake for his birthday, and readers can help count the ingredients as they use them.
	Happy Birthday By: Lily Karr Illustrated by: Roberta Pagnoni Die-cut, textured board pages of varying heights are made to look like a layered birthday cake.
	Having a Party with Lily and Milo By: Pauline Oud Wanting to throw Lily the rabbit a birthday party, mischievous mouse Milo puts up decorations, searches for a perfect party hat, and selects festive music before offering his friend a yummy birthday cake
	Pat-A-Cake By: R. A. Herman Illustrated by: Olga and Aleksey Ivanov Depicts a baker being woken up by two children and then baking them a cake as in the nursery rhyme “Pat-a-cake.” On board pages.
	So Far Up By: Susanne Strasser A hungry bear followed by a pig, a dog, a rabbit, a hen, and a frog form a wobbly ladder to reach the delicious cake at the top of the window.
	There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake By: Hazel Edwards Illustrated by: Deborah Niland The hippopotamus who lives on the roof can do all the things the little girl who lives below isn’t allowed to do.
	Where is Baby’s Birthday Cake?: a lift-the-flap book By: Karen Katz It’s Baby’s birthday, but where is Baby’s cake? Little ones will love lifting the large, sturdy flaps to find Baby’s birthday cake in this new Karen Katz board book. Children will discover fun, festive objects under each flap until they finally find Baby’s yummy birthday cake on the final page of this adorable title.
	Where is the Cake Now? By: The Tjong Khing A group of animals decides to have a picnic and travel all around the countryside, up hills and over rivers, searching for the perfect place to set up their food. But trouble looms — when they finally find the right spot, the all-important cake is missing! Can you help the animals recover their cake?