Bookseller Publisher Review
Audrey meets a lion carrying a purple balloon and asks him if it's his birthday. 'Sometimes,' he responds, 'but not today'. But considering that Audrey happens to like birthdays, she decides to celebrate all the same--after all, she reasons quite correctly, it must be someone's birthday. She later finds Lion with a cake--he's now celebrating Tuesday--and they duly sit down to eat a slice with coconut icing. Lion also celebrates orange and yellow: all the better to make a paper crown in those sunshine colours. Just when Audrey (and the reader) has gotten used to the endless celebratory occasions, the very next day sees Lion lazing about in the garden doing not much at all--it's just an ordinary day. However, Audrey decides to throw a party to celebrate this non-momentous day, just the same. Sometimes Cake is a sweet tale about the joy of special days that are worth blowing up balloons and scattering confetti for, but is also a good reminder that sometimes we should just be grateful for pockets of time that can be spent with friends. Edwina Wyatt's gentle words are well-suited to Tamsin Ainslie's soft watercolours, making this picture book ideal for preschoolers. Thuy On is a freelance arts journalist and reviewer, and the books editor of the Big Issue
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--Tiny Audrey and large Lion share a comfortable, go-with-the-flow, give-and-take kind of best friendship. "'What are you celebrating,' asked Audrey. 'Orange mostly,' said Lion. 'Also yellow.' Audrey liked orange. She suggested purple, too." These two find amicable ways to celebrate birthdays, days of the week, and colors. When an ordinary day has Lion looking despondent, Audrey proves that even ordinary days can be honored. Endearing illustrations made with wispy pencil lines and delicate washes of watercolor on a white background are scattered with dainty details and are well-suited to the whimsy of the text. VERDICT The story line is as airy as the pictures, but in tandem they quietly conjure the world of a sweet friendship.--Jan Aldrich Solow, formerly Fairfax County Public Sch., VA
Publisher's Weekly Review
Pale-skinned Audrey has doll-like rosy cheeks and yellow hair, and she's not startled when she meets a golden lion standing on its hind legs holding a purple balloon. "Is it your birthday?" she asks politely. "Sometimes," Lion replies, "but not today." It's surely someone's birthday, they agree, "so they sang a little song and gave three cheers." Next time they meet, they share a cake to celebrate coconuts, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and the next time, have a party to salute "Orange mostly... Also yellow." When Lion has a low moment, Audrey notices and invents a special celebration just for him. Pencil-and-watercolor spreads by Ainslie are light and soft and elegantly composed. Australia-based creators Wyatt and Ainslie pack in all the things that make parties special: a cake with cherries on top, party crowns, balloons, and confetti. Much is worth feting in this sprightly tale, and the atmosphere of gentle anarchy has only one rule: friends ought to notice when friends aren't feeling their best, and try to give them what will make them happy. Ages 2--5. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
On regular days, two pals find reasons to celebrate. Audrey, a little White girl, likes birthdays; but it isn't hers. Not to worry; her outsize but eminently benign friend Lion is celebrating Tuesdays and coconuts, and she likes Thursdays, so they'll just celebrate those. Lion is a masterful party host, producing luscious coconut-frosted cakes. On another occasion, Lion is celebrating orange and yellow; Audrey likes purple, so the pair have fun making streamers and a jaunty party hat in those three colors. One day, a forlorn Lion doesn't have anything to celebrate because "today is just an ordinary day." Now it's Audrey's turn to spread some cheer. She plans a celebration in honor of ordinary days, monkeys (Lion likes them), and lions. The duo play with confetti, then enjoy a game of "monkeys and lions," followed by hide-and-seek, before striking up some music on toy instruments. Wyatt's text shows an appreciation of both the drollness and profundity of children's thinking, and the story's message about appreciating the little, everyday things is welcome and timely. Children may be inspired to re-create Audrey and Lion's music jamboree, make confetti poppers, and paint pictures for their own guests of honor. Ainslie's illustrations, rendered in pencil and gentle watercolors, are airy and sweet, communicating a sense of childlike joy and lightsomeness. A charmer that reminds readers to cultivate simple pleasures, recognize life's commonplace gifts, and enjoy a little cake. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
