Friday, July 26, 2024

Stanley the Baker by William Bee


Stanley, a smiling orange and white hamster who debuted in 2014 with Stanley's Garage has been moving from job to job in his community for years, as well as teaching children concepts in board books. In his tenth story, he celebrates ten years with a baking adventure. From grinding the wheat to mixing and baking the bread, Stanley is busy, busy, busy - but he still needs his friends, who are preparing a secret - a birthday cake!

Stanley's group of small rodent friends have grown and, no matter where his employment takes him in the community, there are always some kind of vehicles involved. Bee's signature retro illustrations with bright colors and sharp lines are just right for young eyes and there are lots of simple shapes to identify. Simple process stories are very satisfying, especially for young children learning about the world, and this newest adventure of Stanley will pair well with a storytime about community helpers, baking, or bread. Match it up with The only way to make bread and Rosa's big pizza experiment and practice stirring, kneading and punching down the dough!

Verdict: Stanley stories continue to be a favorite at my library and I'm pleased that the publisher now makes them in the more traditional and sturdy hardcover versions (I have a thing about those puffy covers. Ugh.) The advent of a new Stanley book is a good time to check your collection and make sure you have all the previous titles!

ISBN: 9781682637265; Published May 2024 by Peachtree; Purchased for the library; Review copy provided by publisher

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