My eight-year-old son approached and asked what I was doing. I told him I was reviewing/reading a book for Ms. Beth at Books & Whatnot. He informed me he would like to read it as well because it looks amazing. He is right. The cover does hook an eight-year-old, especially with the word “Rude” in large letters on it. So I let him read it.

From the eight-year-old after finishing Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins:

“This book does a great job of explaining how people can be rude and not have any manners. The cake doesn’t even listen to his mom and argues with her at bed time. It has a one-eyed monster who does listen and is very nice. I really liked the one-eyed monster. He looks friendly. Mom, the cake learns to be nice to the crumbs because of the monster’s example. Some of the people in my class need to read this book.”

I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks, Mr. Watkins. I will be sharing Rude Cakes with my son’s classroom.

In the store:

As we leave the classroom for a summer break, it is the ideal time to display books for summer time “growth.” Place together books which teach morals, values, math, grammar and things to do with your children. Children need to continue to be held accountable for their behavior throughout the summer months. Some parents are seeking educational materials to keep their children’s mind sharp through the break. Make it easy for parents to find and easy for them to purchase.

In the classroom:

Headstart, along with Common Core State Standards, has aligned the early childhood development into nine major domains. One of them is the Social-Emotional Domain of childhood development. Rude Cakes illustrates multiple social settings where he is rude, domineering and abrasive. Watkins has used the crumbs to show their emotions with simple words and actions. The relationship between all characters in this books provide an opportunity to discuss behavior and attitudes with appropriate behavior. This is a wonderful story to read and a great follow-up discussion.

Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins (Chronicle Books | 9781452138510 | June 2, 2015