Monday 25 July 2016

The Great Dragon Bake-Off by Nicola O'Byrne (Bloomsbury Children's Books)

I'm afraid we're going to wheel out as many bakery-related puns during the course of this review as we possibly can...
A Choux-in for fans of "The Great British Bake Off", Nicola O'Byrne's "The Great Dragon Bake Off" introduces Flamie Oliver. He's a distinctly different dragon but he's no cream puff. Despite his fearsome appearance, Flamie has a sugar-coated secret. He loves, and I mean he REALLY loves to bake.

Behind closed doors he hovers over the oven, baking and constructing the tastiest treats. But in Dragon School life is all about roaring, setting fire to things and being as dastardly and mean as possible. Well I do eclair!

The more Flamie falls in love with his secret hobby, the more his dragon studies suffer until he's a nervous wreck, quivering like a poorly-set cheesecake about to topple on its buttery biscuit base. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel or is Flamie destined to be a secret baker forever?

This light-hearted children's book is like a beautifully constructed victoria sponge. Beneath the lovely fluffy cake layers, and the exquisite butter cream and jam filling, this is tasty and sweet beyond measure. The only drawback? We're all on horrible diets at home and this made our tummies rumble terribly!

Charlotte's best bit: Flamie's tempting and tasty treats, a feast for the eyes!

Daddy's favourite bit: A sumptuous book that, ironically, made our tummies rumble like roaring dragons!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Bloomsbury Children's Books)

"The Great Dragon Bake Off"

Written and Illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing

Publication Date: 14th July 2016