Not an Alphabet Book: The Case of the Missing Cake

by Eoin McLaughlin, Marc Boutavant (Illustrator)

Overview

Follow Bear from A to Z as he hunts for a cake thief in a hilarious alphabet book crossed with a whodunit.

There has been a terrible crime, Bear tells us. Someone has STOLEN a delicious chocolate cake! Bear sets off to find the culprit, questioning characters and compiling clues from A to Z. Among the suspects: a gingerbread man (G) with a bite out of his head, a kite (K) that may be above the law, and an octopus (O) with grabby tentacles. But — hold on — are those crumbs on Bear’s page? Is that frosting on his face? Looks like our narrator is a little unreliable! And it appears our culprit might be the one that Bear wants readers to suspect the least of all. . . . Author Eoin McLaughlin’s sly, cheeky humor takes the alphabet book to inventive new heights, while best-selling illustrator Marc Boutavant’s smart and striking graphic-style art matches the irreverent tone. Young ABC learners and older fans of funny stories will laugh out loud at Bear’s uproarious “investigation” and his anything-but-usual suspects.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536212679
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/11/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	678,546
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 11.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Eoin McLaughlin is the author of several picture books. When he is not writing for children, he works as a copywriter for Channel 4 in the U.K. Born in Ireland, Eoin McLaughlin has lived in Amsterdam and New York, and now lives in London with his wife and their baby.

Marc Boutavant is an award-winning graphic artist, illustrator, and comic-strip creator whose works include the best-selling Around the World with Mouk, now an animated TV series. His picture books include The Great House Hunt and Never Tickle a Tiger, among many others. Born in Bourgogne, France, he now lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

06/08/2020

Bear had planned to walk readers through “a simple alphabet book.” But this admirable intention is put aside as he instead searches for the nefarious thief who has disappeared the “completely delicious, tongue-jinglingly chocolaty cake” that previously accompanied the letter C. It is evident from the brown smudges on his face and some very cagey behavior that McLaughlin’s (The Hug) narrator is both unreliable and unrepentant, but Bear brazenly plows ahead, and digital vignettes by Boutavant (the Ariol series), set against white backgrounds in the style of a midcentury primer, make the melodramatic interrogations of other alphabet representatives all the funnier (“You’ve got a history of stealing sweet treats, Mr. Fox. How do you plead?”). Some readers may be momentarily upset that Bear is able to mobilize another against innocent Pig, who is banished to the dreaded page 27—an ice floe on which xylophone music is played nonstop. Justice finally does prevail, however, just not until those reading aloud have had the opportunity to assume a variety of modes, from high anxiety (“I have a wife! I have a family!”) to not-so-righteous indignation. Ages 2–5. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Boutavant’s bright, large-scale illustrations are filled with delightful details, and Bear’s overwrought reactions are positively loony. This is a perfect vehicle for reading aloud or reading together over and over with lots of opportunities for highly expressive emoting and giggles galore. Goofy, hilarious, laugh-out-loud fun for all.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Bear had planned to walk readers through “a simple alphabet book.” But this admirable intention is put aside as he instead searches for the nefarious thief...It is evident from the brown smudges on his face and some very cagey behavior that McLaughlin’s (The Hug) narrator is both unreliable and unrepentant, but Bear brazenly plows ahead, and digital vignettes by Boutavant (the Ariol series), set against white backgrounds in the style of a midcentury primer, make the melodramatic interrogations of other alphabet representatives all the funnier.
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

★ 2020-05-03
Bear frantically and very dramatically searches for a thief who has stolen the delicious chocolate cake.

Bear is distraught that the cake, which was supposed to appear on Page 5 of his simple alphabet book, has disappeared. Bear pleads directly with readers for help in finding the thief somewhere within the book. The furry protagonist then questions suspects, barreling through the alphabet letter by letter. Even inanimate objects draw suspicion, for it’s possible that the helicopter or the kite might have helped the culprit escape. Bear continues to blame everyone and everything he encounters, but most have strong alibis and witnesses. Finally he fingers Pig as his prime suspect, punishing him severely. But Octopus, Robot, and Walrus are skeptical and have noticed some anomalies. Sharp-eyed young readers will take note as well, for there are clues in plain sight from which Bear tries to divert attention. There’s the empty plate on his own page, dark stains around his mouth, and several pauses for ice cream and yogurt. When confronted, he denies knowledge or tries to silence his accusers. But he is truly caught. However, his punishment actually delights him, for he must bake a new cake. Boutavant’s bright, large-scale illustrations are filled with delightful details, and Bear’s overwrought reactions are positively loony. This is a perfect vehicle for reading aloud or reading together over and over, with lots of opportunities for highly expressive emoting and giggles galore.

Goofy, hilarious, laugh-out-loud fun for all. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews