I saw some negative reviews on Amazon about how this (hilarious) book fails to teach an important life lesson - who are these people? There are about 7 billion (more boring and obvious) children's books out there that espouse Loving Yourself for Who You Are - people spend vast lifetimes attempting to achieve this goal, and Harper is smart enough to know that a book about a vanilla cupcake read at the age of 4 is probably not going to do much to pave that way. This book is wonderful and refreshin...

Ages 2 and up A cupcake is excited to a part of such a colorful and fun cupcake family, but finds himself sad at the end of the day when he is last cupcake left. Cupcake believes that no one picked him because he is a plain vanilla cupcake and tells Candle all about it. Candle decides that cupcake needs a fancy topping and tries several different ones, but finally cupcake decides the best topping is Candle. This was a cute little book and would be fun for a story time about baking. When Candle i...

It never fails. Every time I read this book aloud to my toddler, I develop this killer craving for a vanilla cupcake! Aside from that, as other reviewers have noted, the unexpected ending really makes the story. Let's give kudos to the entire second half of the book, where the character of Candle tries out different toppers on Cupcake to try to make him feel "special." Pickles or smelly cheese, anyone? The book ends without a clear resolution, but when you're laughing, it doesn't seem to matter

You play dirty pool, Charise Mericle Harper. It isn't enough that you've a brand new and very sparkly picture book out. Oh no. You had to go and write one about a cupcake. Cupcakes! The world's most perfect, most delicious food. How is any gatekeeper of children's literature (teachers, parents, librarians, booksellers, etc.) going to resist a book that stars the world's ultimate tasty treat? Unfair, say I. Then I remember that there's nothing stopping the other authors out there from writing the...

Vanilla Cupcake is born after ingredients are mixed together and he is baked in a toasty warm oven. He is decorated with plain vanilla frosting and then meets all of the other cupcakes that have been decorated in a much more fancy way. By the end of the day, he is the only cupcake that remains and hasn’t sold. He bursts into tears and a candle nearby hears him crying. Cupcake explains what has happened and the plain green candle understands because he has very fancy siblings of his own. Then Can...

Love Love LOVE!I just want to take Vanilla home and eat him aaaaallllll up!

Cute and yummy - the art is what gets me.

Cupcake is a creamy and plain vanilla cupcake. He is born into the "world" and is so happy to have such a large funny of other cupcakes. His brothers and sisters are all so colorful and bright. He soon realizes that he is left alone and that no on wants him, because he is just "plain". He becomes sad, until "Candle", who is just a plain green candle talks about how sad he is too, because his brothers and sisters are more fancier than he is. The book takes off with Candle and Cupcake teaming up t...

After cupcake is born from a warm oven, he is excited to meet his fancy brothers and sisters. But being a plain vanilla cupcake becomes a problem when he doesn't get chosen. Luckily, candle comes to the rescue with some inventive and silly toppings to make cupcake stand out. This is a great book that invites extended conversations about favorite flavors, good toppings and not so good toppings(pickles, anyone?). This book is sure to be a hit with the under 6 year old crowd! ~Miss AprilFind it in

Great for talking about diversity. This is a story about a cupcake who is delicious but not as exciting as his brothers and sisters. He meets a Candle who is also plan compared to his brothers and sisters. Together they try to find a topping to make cupcake exciting. The kids love it. To them its obvious the candle should be the topping but candle and cupcake don't quiet get it. This book is sure to have kiddos laughing. They might also be shouting at cupcake and candle with the answer to their

Cupcake was born in an oven. It was not like it's brothers or sisters that were all fancy and colorful...in fact this cupcake was rather vanilla. It makes a friend in a small green candle and they try to figure out how to get someone to pick them. One would think that the candle would be more "bright" and figure out how to accomplish this. My daughter enjoyed looking at all the different cupcakes in this book. I, however, did not like how the ending was left open. Did they get picked or not? Thi...

This book was the cutest! The artwork was great, the storyline fun, and the ending subtle. My kids loved choosing which was their favorite cupcake and I love that the author put a cupcake & frosting recipe at the end. Just really super cute.

I don't have a whole lotta sympathy for the poor plain vanilla cupcake that nobody wanted. Cravings? Yes. Desire? Yes. But, sympathy? No.Get in my tummy, you delectable lump of sugary goodness.Yum . . . mmmm . . . mmmm . . . mmmmm.

So, Caroline is obsessed with cupcakes, right? This was an obvious birthday choice. She delights in the pictures of Cupcake's fancy-schmancy brothers and sisters. And while she may not quite grasp everything else that is funny about Charise Mericle Harper's book at two, as the reader, I certainly can. The ending is priceless- this one is right up there with Mo Willems's hilarious Pigeon books for me.

A beautifully designed book about a little vanilla cupcake who thinks he is very plain compared to his fancy brothers and sisters. When vanilla cupcake is not chosen by the end of the day, he is feeling pretty crummy about his plainness...until his friend candle comes along. The pair share similar experiences and decide to come up with a plan to make vanilla cupcake less plain and in the process, completely miss what is obvious to us all! Children will love the ending. Ideal read aloud for presc...

You can’t go wrong with a book that not only has a sparkly fun cover but it’s about cupcakes to! This is a story about Cupcake, who was vanilla with white frosting while all her friends had sprinkles, chocolate frosting and other exciting toppings. When Cupcake finds herself alone on the platter she doesn’t know if she wants to a plain old cupcake anymore. Luckily she runs into candle and he helps her figure out what the best topping would be. If you love cupcakes then make sure to come an devou...

I adore this children's book. I am a huge fan of cupcakes and I love how the author incorporated a plain vanilla cupcake with a bunch of fancy ones. Then candle comes along and is plain as well and he tries to help cupcake find something special to put on top. The illustrations are cute and colorful, my youngest really likes this book!

Ahh yes, a book about a cupcake. Can't say that I've ever heard of one before, and that's a good thing. New and different; that's what I like. Sure, Cupcake is basically a story teaching the reader that being plain and different is ok, and that has been done before, but never with a Charise Mericle Harper twist. The lesson doesn't hit you in the face. You don't read her books expecting to learn something; you read her books anticipating enjoyment and a funny ending - the learning part is a bonus...

When your just a 'plain' cupcake it is hard to stand out...but if you look to your friends for help you may find a solution.

Cupcake is born but does not feel as special as his sparkly, stripy, glitter brothers and sisters. He is left all alone until he meets Candle. Candle has very unique brothers and sisters too and understands what it is to be plain. Candle comes up with an idea to make Cupcake feel more unique. Laughter is sure to follow when readers find out what kind of toppings Candle comes up with for Cupcake...squirrel anyone?