Adam Rex: Frankenstein Takes the Cake

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Super Chef applauded when Adam Rex published Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and Other Stories You're Sure to Like, Because They're All About Monsters and Some of Them are Also About Food. You like Food Don't You? Well, All Right Then (see Super Chef's review) – the perfect book for an eight-year old to read or a chef to chuckle over, late at night. Now, he has done it again with Frankenstein Takes the Cake: Which Is Full of Funny Stuff Like Rotting Heads and Giant Gorillas and Zombies Dressed as Little Girls and Edgar Allan Poe. The Book, We Mean, Not The Cake. (Harcourt 2008) The title may be a mouthful, but its full of brilliantly witty, naughty, silly and not at all scary children's verse. The illustrations range from photos (the Headless Horseman with a pumpkin head chased all over by pastry cooks and housewives) to cartoons of various styles, including one of Dracula Jr. drawn as Charlie Brown (p. 28). What the lure for foodies – young and old? Frankenstein's monster's wedding! All sorts of monsters are invited – skeletons, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, vampires – this from The Caterer of Frankenstein makes an Announcement (pp. 31-32): Don't say "steak" to the vampires – they won't understand. They'll just look for a sharp piece of wood in your hand. And don't give them garlic– we seem to be missing A list of their symptoms (apart from the hissing and bat transformations and all of the hassle of chasing them half the way back to their castle). Every page, even the back cover, is filled with pictures, cartoons, and nudges from the author. Of course, they do serve garlic to Dracula, who is the best man in a story called The Best Man of Frankenstein Makes a Trip to the Buffet (p. 36). The buffet is in Frankenstein's bride's coffin, complete with a chocolate fountain. Count Dracula tastes the garlic bread and becomes every waiter's worst nightmare: he gets hives and starts hollering. Get this book for your kids, but read it yourself. Yuk, gross, and eek, but how funny! Previous articles: Adam Rex: Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich [Children's Cookbook reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef