Wintercake: A Winter and Holiday Book for Kids – A Delightful Story of Friendship, Mistakes, and Empathy for Children

by Lynne Rae Perkins

This cozy, gently humorous, and irresistible holiday tale from Newbery Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author Lynne Rae Perkins features universal themes of friendship, community, empathy, and generosity. Wintercake is a great pick for story times during the winter season.

When Thomas misplaces the basket of dried fruit he needs to make his seasonal wintercake, friends old and new come together to save the day. Newbery Medalist and acclaimed picture book creator Lynne Rae Perkins weaves a delightful holiday tale full of surprises and gentle humor.

Wintercake is a book about holiday traditions and why they matter. It’s also a story about making mistakes and how mistakes can sometimes lead to wonderful things.

With colorful and detailed paintings depicting the winter forest and its animal inhabitants, this seasonal title is perfect for classroom and family sharing all year round.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Friendship, Childrens, Holiday, Christmas, Food

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Lynne Rae Perkins is the author of several novels, including her most recent Newbery Award winning book, Criss Cross. She enjoys working in her studio, being with friends, watching her kids grow, and watching her husband, Bill, chase their dog around town.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

A cozy tale is best for winter, and that's what Lynne Rae Perkins offers here. We see where Thomas left his basket of dried fruit before the story even officially begins, but he searches all around inside and out of the tree he calls home, unable to find the basket. His friend Lucy, a bird, flies over and greets him, but she doesn't know where he could have mislaid the fruit either. How will Thomas bake his traditional wintercake without it? As the snowy wind intensifies, Lucy takes wing and heads for home, but the storm is too strong. The ice-covered bird waddles up to the doors of a public tea room, hearing the soft chatter of voices within. She'll wait here until the inclement weather subsides.

The tea room is abuzz with conversations related to the weather as customers enjoy their hot tea and iced cakes. Lucy is just sitting down to a selection of quality vittles when she hears a customer mention a basket of fruit he found that morning. Did this creature steal Thomas's basket? How could he willingly deprive a sensitive soul like Thomas of the means to bake his special cake, a favorite Winter's Eve tradition? Lucy follows the animal when he leaves, intent on confronting him, but perhaps her snap judgment was premature. Is he a ruffian, or a kind woodland creature who happened upon a lost basket of fruit and wants to do the right thing? Lucy may not have gotten off on the right foot with Tobin, the alleged fruit stealer, but now she and Thomas have everything they need to bake a fine wintercake. Why not make one for Tobin, as a goodwill gesture? This could be the start of a more meaningful Winter's Eve tradition than any that came before.

Lynne Rae Perkins is a fabulous illustrator. Wintercake is packed with visual spectacle, from the first full-page picture of Thomas and Lucy outside his tree home searching for the fruit basket, to the cozy two-page spread inside the tea room; from the interior of Thomas's warm, ornate house, to the majestic colors of the dusky scenes as Thomas and Lucy wander in search of Tobin. I'm not sure every part of the story makes sense, and the ending isn't as heartfelt as it could be, but I rate Wintercake one and a half stars, and almost rounded up instead of down. This isn't one of my favorite Lynne Rae Perkins picture books, but it's enjoyable if for no reason other than the artwork. She really knows how to illustrate a story.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This could be the start of something big" as a bear, a cardinal and a vole get to know each other in this story about friendship and more.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishers: Why, oh why? I looked for a recipe at the end of the book, only to find it on the cover, under the dust cover, which libraries feel them must permanently attach, so we cannot read the full ingredients. End papers and covers don't hold up accessibly as well as pages. Content is lost!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had my doubts in the beginning, but by the end, I just loved this story. I loved the lost fruit, the chaotic tea room, the classic jumping to conclusions, the false accusation (even though it was never uttered aloud), and the extremely mild chase scene through the woods. I loved when Lucy admitted she made a mistake.

I loved it even more when Thomas did, too, because who hasn’t set something down in a moment of mental abstraction and forgotten where they left it, only to find the baby all grown up 30 years later and courting the daughter of your former employer? Yeah, Thomas definitely has some Miss Prism qualities.

I loved how they tried to make it right, and almost die:
“Is it the light of heaven?”
“No... Well, maybe.”

And in the end, they make a new friend, share stories, and celebrate together.

A little long for a quick read aloud, but the vocabulary alone makes this one a felicitous enterprise.

Michigan author.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is some great vocabulary opportunities in this book. However, it's too long and has too much text. I got bored. And that's saying something.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve heard a great deal about this book, so I was so happy to see it was available in our tri-college system. I won’t spoil it by telling the whole story, but it’s a tale of forgetfulness, false judgments, going the extra mile, looking out for one another, and building friendships. I just wish I’d gotten the ingredients, ahead of time, to make a wintercake!

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Leigh Fairey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Illustrator Lynne Rae Perkins hits the sweet spot.
Thomas, a furry animal of indeterminate species, has misplaced the bowl of dried fruit he needs to make his holiday cake. His bird friend, Lucy flies off in a snowstorm to help him, and mistakenly identifies a thief. All comes round right in the end, though, in this delightful story of friendship, community and cake. Perkins has a knack for language, (at one point, Thomas is “bereft”!) and her lovely intricate drawings are colored with warm tones inside and chilly wintery scenes without. It would not be a Perkins story without humor, which is in good supply. The lessons about assumptions and the redemptive power of good old fashioned cake, and stories with friends, make Wintercake a perfect choice for cake lovers of all ages.

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful, cheering book to read on Christmas Eve and during Hanukkah. A warming tale of friendship, hardship, ,misunderstanding, and cake.

[Lizzy Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the exposure to new/uncommon vocabulary. My daughter was so surprised when that “scoundrel” was not who we judged him to be! We really liked this one.

[Mary Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wintercake is a picture book with a plot, and the sweetest ending. Charming pictures and inventive prose make this book the choice for curling up with the grands after hot cocoa. The little details in the illustrations make readers, both young and old, want to read this winter tale again and again. Don’t miss the poem on the back jacket cover or the recipe hiding underneath. This is the book that I’ll be giving this holiday season, perhaps with my own home baked wintercake!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely picture book about remembering the a holiday is a holiday because of the friends you share it with and the cheer that you spread--although a nice cake never hurts. Thomas and Lucy and their new friend Tobin are so fun. At first I wasn't sure about the amount of text but the story is well-paced and completely engrossing. A sweet tale about the dangers of making assumptions and the joys of finding new friends. The artwork is also lovely with a nice variety of inset panels and full page spreads.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Assumptions are dropped and an unexpected friend is made. Perhaps I'm missing something, but this story didn't flow well for me.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 1 out of 5]

So wordy! Where was the editor?

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

WINTERCAKE is a lovely picture book that celebrates friendship and the holiday spirit. Thomas is about to make a wintercake (similar to fruit cake) when he notices his dried fruit is missing. He tells his friend Lucy, and she hopes he will find it. After she flies away, she winds up in a cafe where she sees another animal (Tobin) has found it. She cannot hear what Tobin says over the noise, but she assumes he has stolen it. She follows him back to Thomas's, where he has gone to return the dried fruits.

Lucy is ashamed that she jumped to conclusions. After she and Thomas bake the wintercake, they decide to go after the stranger. It's a difficult journey, but they arrive to share the wintercake with Tobin who was sadly alone and happy to have company. With messages about empathy, not jumping to conclusions, friendship, and caring for others, this is a sweet holiday season read.

The illustrations are lovely but often small in comparison to the text. The book is quite detailed with many words, making it more difficult for reading aloud and better suited to older children, who will appreciate the longer length and the story. The vocabulary used in the book is also quite advanced which is great for learning minds, who can pick up some new "big" words (e.g. dismal, forlorn).

What I loved: The story is quite sweet with some great underlying messages. The illustrations, although often small, are absolutely gorgeous with lots of colors and details. The story is also well-written, though better suited to elementary schoolers, and holds some great themes and new vocabulary words. Without being specifically for a religion, this is a great winter season book that conveys the spirit of the holidays.

Final verdict: Overall, this is an engaging and lovely picture book with appeal to older readers. Beautiful illustrations and a detailed story will delight elementary schoolers as they follow Thomas, Lucy, and their new friend Tobin.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas lost his basket of dried fruit for his wintercake that he had planned to make for Winter’s Eve. His friend, Lucy, the cardinal heads off into the growing snowstorm and takes shelter at a tea house. There she sees another animal with Thomas’ basket of dried fruit. She just knows that he has stolen it to keep for himself! So when he leaves the restaurant, Lucy follows him, all the way to Thomas’ door, where he returns the fruit and the basket. Realizing how wrong she was, Lucy and Thomas decide to make a wintercake for the stranger. They follow his footprints in the snow to an empty hollow where he sits alone in front of a small fire. The two friends approach, accidentally scaring everyone and drop the cake. But there is still cake to be shared and new friends to meet.

Perkins creates her own solstice-like celebration with animals in a forest setting that will work equally well for other winter holidays. She tells a detailed story, showing how assumptions about strangers can be very wrong and also showing how to make up for thinking that way about someone. The sharing, giving and friendship shown here are rich and detailed. It is a picture book that celebrates new friends and new traditions built upon old friends and long-standing traditions.

Perkins’ art is interesting. There is no real clarity of what sort of animal Thomas is, rather like a bear or a groundhog type of creature. The stranger is more of a weasel, which works well with the story. That lack of clarity is part of the charm of the book. Perkins has also created a warm neighborhood of tea houses and cozy homes in trees. The bare hollow is shown in real contrast to those other spaces, making it all the more cold and lonely.

A lovely addition to holiday books. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the word holiday is spoken many different things spring into many different people's minds. One word which most will agree is associated with holidays is food. Special foods are prepared according to cultural customs, family traditions and the desire to try something new.

With the dates of winter celebrations approaching fast, people are gathering recipes and ingredients for recreating or making memorable meals or delicious desserts. For some the food prepared and served during these festivities are only eaten one or two days during an entire 365 days. When you think and remember these foods, they bring to mind only this time of year. Wintercake (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, October 15, 2019) written and illustrated by Lynne Rae Perkins is a lost and found story. It's about more than losing items. It's about losing faith in individuals.


My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas a groundhog (I think) has lost his basket of dried fruits with which to make wintercake. He truly believes that without wintercake the holiday won't be any kind of celebration. Lucy the bird tries to convince him that it will be fine. Later Lucy encounters another creature in a tea shop that has found the basket of dried fruits. She is immediately suspicious and determines to follow him. She is ashamed of herself when she ends up following him back to Thomas's house and he returns the found basket.

Thomas and Lucy bake a wintercake just for the mysterious stranger and follow his footprints in the snow. The new friend lives quite a ways away and it takes Thomas and Lucy a long while to get there. When they do arrive they are quite glad they came as the creature they soon learn is Tobin, is very lonely and cold on this Winter's Eve.

A great story for a winter storytime as no specific holiday is mentioned. Also a good one for teaching sharing and not making assumptions about people.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the cold wind and snow starts whipping up, and a winter holiday is fast approaching, Thomas is stressed out because he's misplaced his basket of dried fruit. Thomas was planning on making a wintercake for the holiday celebration and is just certain that the party won't be the same without it. His friend, Lucy, runs into the person who found the basket and makes the assumption that the person stole the dried fruit. But, as she follows him she realizes she's made a terrible mistake. This lovely picture book shares a lesson of humility, friendship, and forgiveness as Thomas and Lucy go to great lengths to show the stranger radical hospitality. This could start a great discussion with young readers about how we welcome strangers into community with us, how we build relationships with those that often are marginalized because they're different, and how we share with others rather than cling to a scarcity mentality.

[Leeanne Grover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas has saved apples, berries, plums, apricots, grapes, and cherries all year in preparation for his wintercake (known to us as fruitcake). On Winter's Eve Thomas has lost his basket of fruit and is heartbroken. He believes that without the traditional wintercake the holiday is ruined. His friend Lucy thinks about her friends plight and while at a cafe overhears a stranger saying he found a basket of fruit in the woods. Immediately Lucy perceives the stranger is a thief and a scoundrel. She is ashamed of herself when she sees the stranger return the fruit to Thomas. Thomas and Lucy then embark on an adventure to give a wintercake to the stranger to express their gratitude to him. Sometimes a mistake can be a wonderful thing and that is what this story is about.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It all started with a mistake ... So many good things do.”

Thomas has misplaced the ingredients for his Wintercake somewhere in the forest. As the snow begins to fly, he has to stop looking and Lucy has to head home before the storm gets worse. Lucy overhears a stranger talking about the basket of dried fruits he found in the woods and immediately jumps to the conclusion that the miscreant had stolen Thomas’ food. So she follows him and it turns out that this stranger returns the basket to Thomas. Lucy and Thomas want to return the favor so they decide to take this stranger some wintercake. But, they don’t even know his name or where he lives. What will they do?

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Thomas (brown fur, unknown animal) has lost his basket of fruits for the annual making of Wintercake. He's looked everywhere. Lucy, his bird friend, helps him look to no avail. He returns home while Lucy continues on, but is caught in a terrible winter storm. is saved by the discovery of a tea room nearby. It is filled with everyone talking about the weather (terrific double-spread, lots of animals, speech bubbles). There is a stranger whom Lucy hears talking about finding a nice basket of dried-up fruits. This is about assumptions, making things right again, and starting new friendships. It's a warm-feeling book that will be about all celebrations.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sweet, lovely story about friendship and a mistake that turns into something wonderful (and which happens to involve cake). My first time through I was mostly focused on the narrative and beautiful language. I've since read it a few more times in order to more thoroughly enjoy the gorgeous illustrations; each time through I notice new details and humor. It is a book that can be enjoyed equally, but on different levels, by young children and adults. It would make a great holiday/winter gift for kids or grandkids... I'll be buying another copy or two for just that reason!

[Diane Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book for both children and adults, especially for those of living where the winters are long and grey. I love how the animals are in search of dried fruit. Reminds me of the squirrels (especially those black spunky ones ) in my yard who carry cookies and roasted squash rinds here and there. When I discovered the recipe beneath the cover, I was quite surprises to discover sour cream in the recipe. We always made xmas cookies with sour cream. Delightful book with witty words and brilliant drawings!

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas misplaces the ingredients he needs to make his winter confection. His friend, Lucy, discovers the missing ingredients in the possession of another and decides to follow only to find him returning the lost items to Thomas. Feeling guilty/grateful, the two friends decide to make a Wintercake as a reward. After a long journey, they finally find Tobin (the benefactor) huddled up by a fire all alone.

Vibrant illustrations, but the story (while a great premise) took too long to come to a conclusion.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gopher can't find his basket of dried fruits in order to make a Winter Cake. His bird friend Lucy sees a weasel with the basket and assumes that he had stolen the basket from Gopher. She follows him and is surprised to see him return the basket to Gopher. Gopher and Lucy make a winter cake and decide to bring it to Weasel and a new friendship is created along with a new custom of spending Winter's Eve together telling stories throughout the night. Perfect for the winter solstice.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this mystery and meet cute. Thomas misplaces his box of dried fruits for his winter cake, and his friend Lucy tries to help. It shows how our first impressions can be mistaken, and that we can overcome great obstacles to make new friends. What a lovely book.

Oz of course as soon as I said "Thomas" autofilled "the Tank Engine" and would not be convinced there were no trains in the story. #trainaddict

[Susan Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book (you will take photos of certain pages and message them to your friends with droll comments) that would be perfect for a bedtime story that wanted a long winding tale and lovely illustrations. I very much would like to find the cafe all the animals gather in (not to mention living in the bear's tree house). A holiday feel but the holiday is the winter season itself, reason enough to celebrate with a fine cake.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this book from the general idea and the illustrations, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat. This was not the most readable picture book (though has some lovely unusual words included throughout) and had a little too much going on for my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to keep paying attention. Perkins is a gifted writer and there are some sweet elements in this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was more mixed on this book about woodland critters making a cake than I would have expected. Was Thomas a bear? Or some other creature? The plot was way too meandering for me, and I found the mention of "heaven" late in the book unnecessary. On the other hand, the illustrations were very pretty and satisfying - I loved the cafe pages.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last few pages leave you with such a warm feeling in your heart: "The three friends made a tradition of taking their wintercake to a bare hollow and telling stories around a merry fire. I ask you, what kind of holiday is that? A jubilant one, you might say. Extra-happy. A little bit mysterious. A wonderful holiday, every time."