Cake Pops by The Australian Women's Weekly

ACP, 2013. ISBN 9781742453828. 128pp., pbk RRP#A19.95
In many parts of the country school holidays are here and junior masterchefs are looking for the opportunity to cook, and what better way to indulge them by making cake pops. Cake pops are the new cupcakes - just as lavishly decorated but just bite-sized mouthfuls on a stick with fewer calories (for those who care.) In this book, another from the collections of The Australian Women's Weekly, there is a host of ideas about how to make, decorate and present these morsels as well as step-by-step pictorial instructions for the trickier tasks, a glossary, and an index so you can find just the one that will satisfy your taste buds. Miss 6, who is looking forward to the Possum Magic stage show in a couple of weeks, has declared the possum cake pops on our must-make this these holidays while Miss 2 likes the Little Lions because they remind her of her favourite television show. But there are also suggestions for grown-ups such as the wedding section, and the ideas in the holidays section would make fabulous additions to special table settings.
The recipes section of a school's collection is always popular and even moreso as more and more children are turned onto the art of cooking and baking, and this book would be a well-received addition. It is meeting the need for something that is in fashion right now and that in itself promotes the library as having relevant and current resources. Even though the decoration of the cake pops seems to be quite elaborate and may well need an adult's touch, the colourful and enticing illustrations in this book will attract even the youngest students and provide opportunities for parents and children to do something fun together in the home, for little cost (although maybe a bit of mess), with easily accessible ingredients and with great results. Who could ask for more than that?
Even if it's a little late to get this into your collection for these holidays, they come around every 10 weeks or so, so perhaps now is the time to start the process and make this one the focal point of a display that could spark a whole new interest for your students.
Barbara Braxton