Clever Jack Takes the Cake - Hardcover

Award-Winning Fairy Tale Picture Book

This deliciously funny original fairy tale received four starred reviews and was named a Best Book of the Year by Booklist, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and the Bank Street College of Education.

The Story

When clever Jack receives an invitation to the princess's tenth birthday party, he faces a problem: he doesn't have money for a gift. His solution? Bake the princess a cake himself. Now he just has to get it to the castle in one piece. What could possibly go wrong? Jack's journey to the castle becomes an adventure filled with trolls, bears, and gypsies. Each encounter tests his determination and cleverness, creating a modern fairy tale that appeals to both boys and girls. While the princess's birthday party draws in young readers who love royal stories, Jack's adventures make this an engaging read for all children.

Perfect for Read Aloud and Storytime

This picture book combines the creative talents of Candace Fleming and G. Brian Karas, the bestselling team behind Muncha Muncha Muncha. The story features a determined boy and a story-loving princess with a good sense of humor, making it ideal for storytime sessions and bedtime reading for ages 4-8.

Critical Acclaim

The book's four starred reviews and multiple Best Book of the Year awards demonstrate its quality and appeal. Critics praised the humorous storytelling, engaging illustrations, and the balance of adventure and heart that makes this fairy tale stand out.

About the Creators

Candace Fleming is the clever author of The Great and Only Barnum, a Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; The Lincolns, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and Ben Franklin's Almanac and Our Eleanor, both ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Books. Her books also include Imogene's Last Stand, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!, Gabriella's Song, and the Aesop Elementary School series. She lives in Oak Park, Illinois. You can visit her at www.candacefleming.com. G. Brian Karas is the prolific, versatile, and acclaimed illustrator of many books for children, including How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara, winner of a Christopher Award; Are You Going to Be Good? by Cari Best, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book; Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming, an ALA-ALSC Notable Book; and Home on the Bayou: A Cowboy's Story, which he also wrote and which received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. He lives in New York's Hudson Valley. Visit him at www.gbriankaras.com.