The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes 2: The Tumbling Tortoises

The Tumbling Tortoises

The Tumbling Tortoises

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes 2: The Tumbling Tortoises

Brenda Gurr

New Frontier, 2020

104pp., pbk., RRP $A 14.99

9781921928796

Zoe Jones has a hidden talent and a secret identity.  Daughter of one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world, sadly dead now, and a secret globe-trotting international food critic, at the age on nine, she has inherited her mother’s interests and talents, and when she is not at school she creates masterpieces that are highly sought after, aided and abetted by her guardian Aunty Jam and her magical cat Coco.

In the second in this series  for younger newly independent readers, Zinnia has won the Wildside Zoo’s endangered animals competition with her cute tortoise cupcake idea! But when she does more research about tortoises, one of her classmates starts asking too many questions… Can she remain the secret pastry chef everyone loves?

Baking has seen a real resurgence amongst the young in recent months – being a pastry chef is currently high on Miss 14’s to-do list – and given the maths, science and reading involved to create the perfect masterpiece, it should be encouraged. This series (and the Sage Cookson series) are the perfect accompaniments particularly as there are scrumptious recipes included such as the chocolate swirl cupcakes in this episode.

For me, the new school year was an opportunity to hook new readers to new series as well as pair up those who had started and were clamouring for the next episode. So I’d create a display of all the favourites which had had new adventures added and sit back and watch both the reading and the chattering.  What I liked most was how new friendships were formed as unlikely individuals or new-to-the-school students came together over a love for a particular character, proving, again, that books can change lives.

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