Review Detail

Willow and Delia are even more excited than usual that their extended family is renting a house in Michigan, because their Aunt Rose is getting married. They are hoping that they won't have to wear the horrible, floofy pink dresses and be flower girls-- if Aunt Rose can experience their wonderful cooking, maybe she'll have them do the cake instead! The problem with that is that Mr. Henry has Cat cooking for them all, since she lost her restaurant in the South and inherited the house next door. Willow and Delia manage to run afoul of Cat again and again, but work their way back into her good graces every time. They have to put up with their older sisters, three year old Sweet William (who keeps getting into trouble with the family goose), and Delia is also worried about her parents. Her father has lost his job in Detroit, and her parents seem to be fighting a lot... will they get a divorce? As the wedding approaches, it looks like the girls will have to wear their pink dresses, but manage to save the day anyway.

This was a very fun read about summer activities that will appeal to many readers. The addition of recipes is always good, and the illustrations are charming. The families are supportive, even with the problems, and the inclusion of multigenerational characters is interesting. The fact that the cousins have different backgrounds but still have the same eyes is very nice. The summer activities make this kind of like The Penderwicks.