Journey Cake, Ho!

This is a delightful book about a poor family of an old man, an old woman and a young boy named Johnny who merrily whistles his way through life. However, the family comes on hard times when their animals are lost and the decision is made that Johnny must leave. He packs up his few possessions and the old woman bakes him a journey cake for him to eat. As he walks along, the cake pops out of his sack and rolls away, taunting him. He gives chase and when he passes various animals, they join in the pursuit of the journey cake. The cake rolls and rolls, until it eventually falls over. Johnny looks around and discovers that he is back where he started and he has brought an entire entourage of farm animals with him. The book is well illustrated and has a happy ending when Johnny returns home. However, some children may be disturbed by the thought of the child having to leave home when bad times fall on the family.

I was born in Dec, 1950. My mother read this book to me as an infant (published 1953) and I was so enthralled by it that I had her read it to me many many times. Some part of me became the character in the book and I was completely lost in it. Possibly because I am a Sagittarius, I related to the travel and the journey and the ideals put forward.

I've read this to many students and to my own children. Everyone loves this charming story.

I remember this book from childhood. It was a fun story with warm pictures. I thought about this simple story for years after. In the story--- A family experiences the ravages of poverty/loss and the boy Johnny sets out on his own. While on his journey, he loses his one means of sustinence, the "Journey Cake". From there, he chases the rolling cake and a whole series of events unfold. Years later, I found a copy and realized the profundity of the story. Sometimes when you are down to nothing, it is the journey that provides you with everything you need, even a way back home. Great story for children and adults.