THE TINY BAKER is the sweet story of a baker bee who runs a bakery and tea shop. Every day, her insect clientele lines up to enjoy her tasty treats. One day, while she is serving her customers, her ladybug staff takes wing and leaves the kitchen in an uproar. The baker bee is sitting amidst the mess when her customers rally to her rescue. The ants work together to clean it up quickly, and the baker bee realizes that she has so many friends and is cheered.

What I loved: This book is told in rhymes, which adds to the fun of the experience. The bakery is lovingly described and it comes to life in the lovely illustrations throughout. The storyline is cute with plenty of bakery puns, including that when the ice cream maker explodes, it a la moded. The text rolls of the tongue, and it is also nice that it includes unusual and big words that can help to build a child's vocabulary. The value of relationships and friendships shines through the end of the story, with the baker's many friends coming in to save the day. The artwork here is also absolutely gorgeous with plenty of details to explore.

What left me wanting more: As small points, the book ends somewhat abruptly and I think I wanted some more closure with the bakery as well as more explanation why the ladybugs took off. The text is also a little awkward in places, as there are a lot of big words, so it is definitely one better read aloud versus children reading to themselves.

Final verdict: Beautifully illustrated and with rhyming text, THE TINY BAKER is a sweet story of friendship. Highly recommend for children who love baking, bugs, and good friends.