Upside-Down Cake

by Carol Carrick, Paddy Bouma (Illustrations)

A nine-year-old boy tries to come to terms with his grief and anger when his father develops cancer, gradually becomes weaker and weaker, and then dies.

64 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 1999

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time over four years ago and at the time I was convinced it was simply a story about upside down cake. So it was the last one I picked up from the library stack out or pure boredom. Turns out it's not simply a book about upside down cake and I was anything but bored while reading it. To this very day, it remains to be one of my favorite stories. Wonderfully written and incredibly heartfelt.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text-heavy, picture-book sized. Unusual to see so much about the feelings *before* the death in a book for children. Nothing about the wear & tear on the family though, as Dad was mostly tired, and the family must have had very good insurance. Can't tell if there's a coffin or an urn, but there is a hymn and a belief in heaven.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A children's novel about grief, told from the perspective of a nine year old boy whose father dies of cancer.

[Hannah Sova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a grate book. I loved the book so much. This book really touched my heart. Even though this is a really short book it will touch your heart. It made me cry when reading this book. This is the only book I have read that I have cried. It is a cute but sad story. I think there are a lot of people that would like this. Even if you don't like sad books I think you would like this. Please read this amazing sad story.

[Jo]

Lib. A 9-year old boy experiences grief, anger and finally acceptance as he copes with his father's terminal cancer and death.

[Joshua O'Hara]

First book I read on my own