Chocolate Cake
on Goodreads (134)
What’s inside...
When I was a boy, I had a favourite treat. It was when my mum made . . . CHOCOLATE CAKE! Ohhh! I LOVED chocolate cake. Fantastically funny and full of silly noises, this is Michael Rosen's love letter to every child's favourite treat, chocolate cake. Brought to life as a picture book for the first time with brilliant and characterful illustrations by Kevin Waldron.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
4-8
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think makes the chocolate cake so special for the boy in the story?
How did the story make you feel when the boy snuck downstairs for a midnight feast?
Why do you think the boy felt the need to eat the cake secretly?
Can you think of a time when you wanted something so much like the boy wanted the chocolate cake? What was it?
What do you think the boy could have done differently in the story?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their feelings about the boy's actions and discuss different choices the boy could have made.
Relate the boy’s intense desire for chocolate cake to a personal story from your childhood to create a deeper connection.
Ask your child to imagine and describe their own version of the 'perfect' dessert, fostering creativity and personal expression.
Discuss the concept of temptation and secrecy with your child, and why it's important to be honest.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Self-control
Explanation: The protagonist's desire for chocolate cake leads him to sneak out of bed at night to eat it, illustrating the challenges of self-control.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to manage their impulses and desires, understanding the value of patience and the consequences of giving in to temptation.
Example Lesson: Consequences of Actions
Explanation: After eating the cake secretly, the protagonist faces physical discomfort and guilt, showing that actions have consequences.
Real-World Application: Kids can relate this to their lives by understanding that their choices can lead to positive or negative outcomes and learning to think before acting.
Example Lesson: Honesty
Explanation: The narrative indirectly discusses the importance of honesty when the protagonist deals with his guilt after surreptitiously eating the cake.
Real-World Application: This lesson can help children see the importance of being truthful, even in difficult situations, and the inner peace that comes with honesty.
Example Lesson: Problem Solving
Explanation: The protagonist comes up with a plan to eat the cake without being caught, showcasing early problem-solving skills.
Real-World Application: Children learn that problems can often be approached with creative thinking, though they should also consider the morality of their solutions.