Emily’s family has a magical power: they can bake emotions into food. Want to feel relief? Try some steamed cheesecake. Need confidence? Millionaire shortbread! Emily loves baking with her Aunt Gina at the family bakery while her mother travels the world talking about the craft.
When Aunt Gina dies in a car accident, however, Emily is overcome with grief. Her mother returns and wants to help, but is dealing with her own emotions and doesn’t quite know how. Her best friend Dae (who uses they/them pronouns) doesn’t know what to say, either. Emily therefore bakes her feelings into a crumble. Dae thinks it tastes gross, but somehow can’t stop eating it. Neither can Emily’s classmates, who make themselves sick on it. Emily can’t stop making the crumble, though, for somehow doing so makes things not hurt as much, even if it doesn’t make her feel better.
Eventually, Emily and her mom talk through their emotions with each other and find a way forward. Meredith McClaren’s straightforward but never preachy text does a wonderful job of exploring how grief can impact people, while Andrea Bell’s adorable illustrations give this highly recommended graphic novel a charm that lightens the serious topic. Occasional recipes within the pages may also spark reader engagement.
Emily and her family are White, while Dae reads as Korean American.
