CAKED

“Caked” is a children’s book that celebrates the main star of all birthday parties: the cake. One of the guests was so fascinated by the cake that she ignored everything else. Caught up in her enchantment, or caked, Diana forgot about the toys and buddies at the party and, instead, chose to play with the cake's decorative elements. The experience was so memorable that the girl continued playing on her way back home. “Caked” also brings a contemplative perspective on the passage of time at each birthday, symbolized by the gradual twilight depicted throughout the story.

Available in 2 options: 1) eBook in Portuguese; 2) eBook in English.  

Conception

The inspiration for this book came into existence in a dream. Cristie dreamed that she was inside a birthday cake skillfully crafted by a pastry chef friend (Cláudia).

The cake decoration was very meticulous and laborious. The structure was multi-layered, resembling rough terrain with a small house perched on top. Fences, rocks, trees, and flowers were scattered everywhere, each edible and molded from candy. It was an exhilarating experience to explore the landscape and smear herself with icing, sticking her hand and even her mouth in any treat Cristie found along the way.

The real hassle unfolded after they sang happy birthday, as they began to cut the cake, and Cristie found herself trapped there. She had to swiftly dart from one hiding place to another, evading the sharp stainless-steel spatula that sliced through the land, which was no land but the very surface that supported her feet. On second thought, that dream was more like a nightmare.

In winter, while walking through a neighborhood of houses in Canada, Cristie noticed that she was surrounded by snow wherever she looked, which evoked that same sensation from her dream of being surrounded by icing, caked within the cake, almost a tongue twister, hence the title.

The smokey chimneys took on the appearance of tiny candles blown out by giant birthday celebrants, and the whole scene was rocked by a symphony of geese, perhaps singing their own rendition of "Happy Birthday to You." Yes, this story had to be told.

Illustrations

The sketches were made in pencil on paper. After being imported into a digital drawing and painting software, they were reworked using drawing, inking, and painting tools, following a predefined palette for the book. The only exception was the illustration of the aerial view of the houses (see figure on the side), inspired by the city of Whitby in Ontario, Canada. This illustration was painted with watercolor on Canson paper.

Excerpt

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Bexigas escalam as paredes, jogos se espalham pelo assoalho e disputam as mãos das crianças.

No centro da mesa o bolo de aniversário se ergue, cercado por seu exército de brigadeiros em uniformes dourados. A cobertura do bolo é de glacê branco e se confunde com o cenário sobre ele. Um caminho de jujubas convida a visitar a casa. No telhado há uma chaminé em formato de vela.

Andar no glacê deixa pegadas, como andar na neve. Tropeçar no glacê tinge o cabelo e as roupas de branco. Lamber o glacê não é gelado; é açucarado.

Crianças patinam sorridentes no lago, mas estão imóveis. Os ponteiros do relógio na pracinha estão estáticos, se recusam a se separar. O tempo congelou a paisagem que não é gelada.

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Balloons climb the walls; games spread across the floor and compete for the children’s hands.

In the center of the table stands the birthday cake, surrounded by its army of truffles in golden uniforms. The cake frosting is made of white icing that blends in with the scenery on top of it. A path of jellybeans invites passersby to visit the house. On the roof, there is a chimney in the shape of a candle.

Walking on icing leaves footprints, like walking on snow. Stumbling in the frosting dyes one’s hair and clothes white. Licking the icing is not icy; it’s sugary.

Children skate on the lake smiling, but they are motionless. The clock hands in the square are static, refusing to separate. Time has frozen the landscape, but the landscape is not frosty.

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