A sister and her younger brother set out to make a teatime snack in this genial book for little hands. Big, bold text in simple, direct sentences pairs perfectly with Benoit's luminous watercolor artwork. The brown-skinned children gather tools and ingredients before mixing, while a mischievous kitty looks on. The little boy's expressive face fills many spreads, looking content while licking sugar from his fingers, or inquisitive while big sister creams butter in a bowl. This pleasant book makes baking look like so much fun that kiddos are likely to be inspired to try to help out in the kitchen.

A pair of siblings bakes cupcakes, with a little help from Kitty.The preschooler and toddler gather ingredients, measure, and mix under the watchful eye of their playful tuxedo kitten. The declarative, sometimes imperative text is as straightforward as a recipe: "Sprinkle salt, but not too much. Don't forget the baking powder. / Creaming the butter is hard work. / Sugar on fingers sure is sweet. Wash hands." Those last two sentences are illustrated by, on verso, a close-up of the toddler with fingers in mouth; on recto, above the text, the kitten licks its paw. Readers will enjoy discussing whether the kitten is washing or enjoying a little spilled sugar. The children have straight black hair and brown skin; Mommy, visible only as a pair of hands lifting Kitty away from the flour, also has brown skin. Although she is in the kitchen, the focus is on the children's activities, and the use of low-tech tools—they cream the butter by hand, hence the "hard work"—ensures that they can be active participants rather than bystanders. There is more than one mishap (Kitty takes care of the broken egg on the floor), but with more hand-washing and trying again, eventually the cupcakes are ready for Mommy to put them in the oven. Benoit's art features distinct outlines, rounded figures, and soft colors—the mutual affection is apparent on every page.A recipe for success. (Picture book. 2-4)

PreS-Gr 1 The toddlers who starred in Hat On, Hat Off are now preparing cupcakes in the kitchen. Older sister appears to be taking charge with help from her little brother and a kitty. Using the common theme of baking with the anticipation of the tasting that comes later, Heras relates a simple tale with vocabulary stretching words and phrases ("creaming the butter"). Imperative sentences or even bits of sentences go directly to the essence of the plot: "sprinkle salt" or "wash hands." Benoit offers a wide variety of perspectives so readers can see the way the batter looks in a big bowl, while on another page, the younger boy's eyes barely peek over the top of the baking tin. Recipes for chocolate cupcakes and vanilla frosting appear on the endpapers. VERDICT This brief story will go over well in a storytime with a cooking theme. A sweet treat that's sure to please. Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA