Sand Cakes
Lyrical text and charming illustrations tell the story of a sweet little baker on the beach, whose speciality is creating sandy treats. She proudly offers her sun cakes, seaweed pies, sand puffs, and more to people and animals she encounters on the beach; yet to her dismay, no one is willing to try them. She stays determined, continuing to create her baked goods until finally she discovers one very hungry, very surprising, customer. Readers will need to read this book to SEA who that customer is!
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Have some fun with language together with children! The little baker in the story names her treats using playful vocabulary. In this book, the treats were made of sand. At a local sandy spot near water, in a sandbox, at a playground, or in a sensory bin, add a little water and some other natural ingredients to the sand to create some sandy treats of your own! Label the different products with names that the children create.
This book uses rhyme and rhythm to tell the story. At times, the text can almost feel like a bit of a tongue twister. For example, “crispy crusted beach bread” and “spiced with seaside mist twists” are two of the yummy treats baked by the little chef. It can be helpful to practice reading the rhyme out loud before reading with children, to get a sense of the patterns. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Children will love the time spent reading together, and if an area is challenging, adults can invite children to practice the phrase with them.