I’ve had the pleasure of working with author Medea Kalantar on the fourth and fifth books of her children’s picture book series, Honeycake. Here are my thoughts on the first three books in this series that introduces young readers into a diverse, multi-cultural family of love.
In Book 1, A Family of Spices, Nala visits her grandmother and they decide to bake a cake. When Grandma tells Nala she is made of spices, just like their cake, she doesn’t understand. Grandma and Nala talk about how her background is made up of many different cultures. Along the way, as they add ingredient after ingredient, they talk about their family and why Grandma calls Nala her little Honeycake.
In the second book of the series, Help I Swallowed A Butterfly, Nala runs home and cries to Mama that her teacher told her she has butterflies in her tummy. Mama explains to Nala all about stage fright and ways to cope with it.
In Book 3, Special Magical Powers, Nala learns about her special magical power known as kindness, and how being kind to others can have a huge impact on both the giver and the recipient. Nala rushes home to tell Mama and Papa how she used her Special Magical Powers to help others in need.
What I love about the Honeycake series is its simplicity. These are important life lessons wrapped inside a simple and touching story. A Reiki Master and Practitioner, Kalantar is also an award-winning author. In addition to these three stories, A Circle of Trust and Counting All My Blessings have been released. You can find out more at https://honeycakebooks.com
The Children's and Teens' Book Connection 