The Cactus Flower Bakery

by Harry Allard, Ned Delaney (Illustrator)

A nearsighted armadillo meets an ostracized snake in the desert and, not realizing what kind of animal she is, helps her open a bakery

Genres: Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1991

About the author

Harry Allard was an American writer of children's books. Many of his books have received awards; a few have also been banned and challenged in the United States.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lonely snake named Sunny, and a near sighted armadillo named Stewart open a bakery together, but the business goes bust until a misunderstanding between them is corrected, and The Cactus Flower Bakery becomes the best in Texas, located on Route 126 heading toward El Paso.

[Emily Goodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book teaches a good lesson about not judging a book by its cover. It could be used for 2-5th grade for a lesson on differences and friendship. I didn't like the part of the book when the snake stops eating when the armadillo leaves. It should be said that this is not appropriate behavior, and that the snake should have handled her loneliness differently. It may not seem to be a big deal, but in today's society, it sends the wrong message.

[Amber the Human · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly fine book. Sweet. Shows that people can have their initial reactions to something they find different or frightening, but then take the time to think and come back and apologize for their reactions. A very tame book by Allard's standards ... not as clever as his other stories, or as riveting. But a perfectly fine book.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic. Wonderful. Love it.