Mud Is Cake

Pam Munoz Ryan's Mud Is Cake pairs a fun rollicking rhyme with classic paintings by McPhail. The rhyme also helps kids think about words and alternate meanings they represent.

A truly delightful picturebook recommended for beginning readers age 2-5, Mud Is Cake features a series of whimsical metaphors by Pam Munoz Ryan, which are brought to life through David McPhail's gentle, playful color illustrations. The power of belief and using one's imagination are central to Mud is Cake, which is a brief, simple, and enjoyable treat -- and especially suitable for parent/child bedtime reading.

"Mud is cake/if you pretend/and don't really take a bite./And juice is tea/with a fairy queen/if you act it out just right." Pam Munoz Ryan takes us into the charming world of child's make believe in this gentle and whimsical picture book. A box can be a hideout, and a stick is a wand. A tree is a spaceship, your tub is a boat and the "couch is a store when you display a variety of shoes." And you can be a tiger, prowling and growling, or a kitten, curled on someone's lap, a hero, or a champion, or even the one who runs away, if you want. David McPhail's captivating, bright and colorful illustrations complement the text beautifully and engage the reader. Together word and art send a simple message: Let your imagination run free and have fun. "You can be most anything/in dreams, or wide-awake./If you agree that juice is tea.../...if you believe/that mud is cake." Perfect for preschoolers, Mud Is Cake is a sweet and simple, timeless treasure that little ones will want to read and act out again and again. "