  | Crumble Author: McClaren, Meredith | |
| Price: $19.58 | ||
Summary:
Emily, her mom, and her aunt Gina have a very special magical power: They can bake emotions into the desserts they sell at their family bakery. Need a dash of confidence? Try their millionaire shortbread! Want relief after a stressful day? The cheesecake will lighten your spirits!? There is only one rule: Never bake a bad feeling. In graphic novel format.
| Illustrator: | Bell, Andrea |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (12/01/24)
School Library Journal (00/12/24)
Booklist (01/01/25)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/02/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 01/01/2025 Emily and her family have a unique magical ability: they can bake emotions into their desserts. Emily and her best friend, Dae, love to go to her family bakery to practice making desserts from scratch. However, Emily’s life takes a tragic turn when her beloved aunt Gina suddenly dies in a car accident. To cope with her emotions, she bakes a crumble, breaking her rule of never baking with negative feelings. The dessert, a reflection of her sorrow, is unappetizing, but somehow no one can stop eating it, and though it does nothing to ease her pain, Emily keeps baking it. McClaren handily navigates the theme of loss with care and respect, cleverly using emotionally infused desserts as a medium to delve into the complex world of feelings. The weighty issues of loss and grief are nicely balanced with the lighter elements of baking, humor, and friendship, which especially comes through in Bell's bright, softly rounded, and cartoonish artwork. An ideal read-alike for The Happy Shop or Pilu of the Woods, this emotionally intelligent story offers an engaging narrative with useful SEL tools. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
