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Hey! Ms. Kate here and you know what that means! That’s right, it is time to… COOK! THE! BOOK! 

What book are you ready to cook? 

OOO, an excellent choice, an excellent choice, today we are going to cook Library Lion, written by Michelle Knudson. Hmm? Oh! I am so sorry, we are not going to ACTUALLY cook the book, Here, we are going to read a book and then cook something inspired by the book. Are you ready? Well, let’s begin!

Library Lion starts off with a lion wandering into the library one day. He walks past the circulation desk and finds himself at Story Time with the kids. He stays there to listen to one book, then another, and another, until the Story Time session has ended, where he ROARS in outrage. 

While this king of the jungle throws his tantrum, let’s get our recipe ready. 

For cupcakes, we will need:

  • 1 can of icing

  • 2 sticks of butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour

  • 3 tbsp cornstarch

  • 1 ½ cups of baking powder

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • ¾ cups milk

For book cupcake decoration, we will need:

  • 2 graham crackers

  • Food coloring (optional)

  • Icing

(Fun fact: My mom made me these book-themed treats for my birthday one year, so of course, I had to make these cupcakes with my mom. Who are you going to be baking with?)

Before we get baking, just a few safety precautions. Always make sure there is a parent or guardian helping you, especially when working on hot surfaces like a stove or an oven. Now, without further ado, let’s get baking! 

First, we will need to preheat the oven to 350°F and line two muffin tins with liners (this will make sure nothing sticks to the tray and be less mess!). While the oven is preheating, we will mix our butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy, then add the vanilla to the mix! 

In another bowl, we will combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. We will gradually add the wet ingredients (milk and butter concoction) until the dough is smooth and evenly combined. 

(I added sprinkles for extra pizzazz!)

*Ding! Ding!*

Oh! The oven is ready! 

As we prep our batter to go into the oven, let’s see what is going to happen for the Lion at the library! 

The Head Librarian, Mrs. Merriweather (who is very particular about rule-breaking), hears the commotion of our jungle cat and reminds him that he needs to be quiet in the library. She has the Library Lion help with chores around the building; dust the encyclopedias, lick the envelopes for overdue notices, and gradually, he helps the library on his own, especially with helping the kids reach books. One day, Lion goes to Mrs. Merriweather for more work, and as the Head Librarian is reaching for a book, she falls! Oh, no! 

Hurry, let’s take the cupcakes out to cool while we finish the story! 

Mrs. Merriweather is unable to get up from where she fell, and Lion must go get help, but, is it okay for him to break the rules in the library? 

Read Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen to find out, and don’t forget your cupcakes while you read it! Speaking of cupcakes, let’s see how they turned out!

My goodness, these look good enough for a lion to eat (even if it is a math book!) Thank you for tuning in to this edition of Cook the Book, my name is Ms. Kate, and enjoy your treats!

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