A Cake for Herbie

As I wrote in my review of Lottie's Beach Towel, there is something I find unsettling about Petra Mather's books. A befuddling, surreal quality. But they are hit with my kids. And this book is my personal favorite of the bunch. It has just enough funny, weird moments to make me look forward to reading it. The basic story finds Herbie, a duck, entering a poetry contest to try and win a cake. He is encouraged on by Lottie, a hen I believe. Herbie decides to write a poem going through the alphabet, with a little rhyming food-related couplet for each letter. He pulls an all-nighter three days before the contest. The thinking makes his hed hot, so he puts a bag of ice on his head, but then the cold makes him hungry so he has to make pudding. But he is able to write all the way to `K' for which he writes "You don't need mustard/ for karamel kustard." Lottie informs him of his error, he accepts her critique with grace, and continues writing. The night before, he has nightmares, we see him bound and gagged on stage, with his notepad strapped to his torso, as the cake floats away on angel's wings. That picture was redeeming moment number one. Despite the nightmares, he is encouraged because his friend Lottie will be there with him at the poetry contest. But the next morning Lottie is physically ill. Redeeming moment number two is a picture of Lottie- again a hen or possibly a chicken- kneeling over a toilet about to heave. Herbie must persevere without his only fan. When he enters the contest, we see redeeming moment number three and my single favorite Petra Mathers moment: A blue bird, dressed as a beatnik complete with beret, is on stage at the poetry contest, reciting: "...now I know no one but one gnome,/ no one knows I know this gnome,/ only the gnome knows that I know him." Herbie is appropriately intimidated by the competition. He bombs on stage and leaves, dejected, at K, "K is for kruel." He hides out in an alley, alone with his sorrow, but is discovered by a chef, a chef at a restaurant where everyone rhymes. What a fabulous break. He is embraced by his new friends, momentarily forgets about his friend Lottie, still convalescing at home, until he is rewarded by a cake. He drives back home, Checks in on Lottie, along with what's left of the cake, and tells her all about his adventures. That's the story. Good enough to win me over for a positive review. Quite peculiar but worth the read.

My two-year old is fascinated by Lottie and Herbie and I get a kick out of reading the Lottie series everytime. This one just might be our favorite though, because it's about food and poetry! Quirky and something different from so many other cutesy books, this one has humor, substance, and delightful illustrations.

A Cake for Herbie is a sensitive, charming story your pre-schoolers will adore. Herbie the duck reads about a poetry contest and with the encouragement of his best friend Lottie the chicken, he enters. He stays up all night working hard on his poetry, only to be laughed off the stage. Sad and disappointed, he walks into a restaurant where his poetry is appreciated and he wins his own special prize. Petra Mathers charming and amusing text is only outdone by her wonderful, expressive illustrations. This is a touching story your children will want you to read over and over again. You don't want to miss this very special book.

Wonderful illustrations and a sweet, gentle story. We've read it every night for the past few weeks (at the request of my 2 and 4 year-olds) and NONE of us is tired of it yet. Great addition (3rd) to the "Lottie" series.

Herbie is a snag-a sensitive new age guy-who writes zany poetry, expresses his emotions and has a female best friend named Lottie as his supporter and confidant.The colorful illustrations and lively text engage both the youthful listener and the adult reader time and time again. The pictures have imaginative details that delight the eye. My favorites are Herbie's cake decorated with sparklers, Lottie in the midst of an attack of the flu, Herbie's car traveling along a dark and deserted road, and Herbie riding behind Lottie on her sleek purple motor scooter.As Herbie might have said if he'd gotten that far in his poetic culinary alphabet:: Z is for zieback, okay for a haversack, but I prefer zucchini tetrazzini.