posted on 28 Sep 2019

The Bakery of Happiness by Ian Beck

Children’s book aficionados will almost certainly know the name of Ian Beck who is already a highly regarded and popular children’s book author and illustrator. Beck learned his art from the very best – Raymond Briggs and John Vernon Lord – and in this Little Gem, in a dyslexia-friendly layout from Barrington Stoke he shows his quality again.

Producing an authentic modern day fairy tale classic is a real challenge but Beck has pulled it off consummately in this story of a little French bakery and the magic it spins in the neighbourhood.

Paul du Pain’s bakery is a special place. Paul makes his delicious cakes and pastries fresh every day and Marie serves the customers. There’s something special about the chemistry between them (although they are too shy to admit it to each other) but the customers can feel it – they leave the shop after buying their cakes as if they are walking on air. Marie’s voice is a beautiful sound that makes each day wonderful for Paul, the customers and Paul’s dog Gracie.

Then, one day, a stranger visits the shop and hears that lovely voice and is bewitched. He happens to be a big-wig in the towns opera company and he is convinced Marie has all it takes to become the next big singing star.

When she leaves the bakery for her new life, everything changes and the magic dies. Paul continues baking but the customers leave the shop with less of a spring in their step and Gracie sits and pines. The shop goes from being sunny and bright to be being grey and sad.

And it’s not only Gracie who is pining – it’s Paul too. He never got around to asking Marie to go out with him and now his chance may be gone forever.

What will happen when Paul and Gracie decide to go and see Marie again and will they even be able to get past her legions of new admirers?

You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens because all fairy tales need an ending……

This is a beautifully produced and fabulously illustrated book that has the usual Little Gem bonus that comes with it. This time the inside front cover has an amusing spot-the-differences drawing for the young reader to complete.

This really is a book that deserves its ‘Little Gem’ label.

 

Terry Potter

September 2019