My third grade girls would absolutely love this story. The colorful illustrations will hook them in. The recipes and story line will keep them reading. Perfect!

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Funny, colourful and foodie galore! Crumble is a heartfelt tale with a hint of magic to it. A pick me up for a sick day or a need to bake something day. My favourites are my nana’s shortbread [she gave me the recipe for my birthday] the world created felt real especially with the moments of friendship and the really heartwrenching theme of grief throughout. A wonderful new graphic novel up there with Mooncakes and Lumberjanes.

I usually jump on graphic novels to read because they provide a short, but engaging break from reality. I try not to read the synopsis on any book because I like just going along for the story. Based on the cover, I figured I was in for a fun baking related graphic novel (which I LOVE). But this graphic novel is not light-hearted. It is super, super sad to the point where I was crying. Crumble is beautifully haunting in its depiction of grief and healing from a devastating loss of a beloved family member and caregiver. I really thought it was well rendered in its stages of grief and its realistic depiction of how sometimes the ones we need comfort from are lost in their own sorrows too. I highly recommend this graphic novel - especially for anyone who needs to feel they are not alone after a loved one passes.

This darling book shines a light on feelings of grief and sorrow with a bit of magical realism and beautiful artwork. It was a cozy read. The author explores how big feelings can affect those around us and even change ourselves. But with grace the author shows the reader that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Definitely a hopeful story of friendship and family and how we lean on each other and learn to lean back.

This was so cute. I really liked this graphic novel. The art style was adorable, and I loved the idea of quite literally baking your feelings. On top of that I also just think it does a great job talking about grief on the level of the target audience, while also making me (a full grown adult) a bit misty eyed. The conclusion is a bit too quick for me, but for the rest I thought this was great.

Thank you, NetGalley, Algonquin Young Readers, Little Brown Ink, Meredith McClaren, & Andrea Bell for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Crumble is such a beautiful book about grief after the passing of a loved one. Grief can manifest in many ways and in this book, it shows up in the form of magical food with negative emotions. The MC, Emily (and her mom and aunt) can bake their emotions into desserts. After losing her aunt, who she was super close to, the only thing that can make her feel better is baking however, magical baking with negative emotions is dangerous. Despite the magical element, I think the depiction of grief is super realistic.

3 1/2 stars.

Crumble is a special story, but that doesn't make it easy to read. This is one of those instances where I really have no idea how a middle schooler would respond to this story. I also wouldn't recommend this story to anyone younger than 9.

The issue is that this is a story about grief. Those who have experienced the loss of a loved one will love this. It acknowledges that death changes you, that you have to allow yourself ample time to grieve, and that your friends don't always know the right things to say.

Crumble starts in a very lighthearted manner. Emily and her family have special, magical powers that allows them to bake emotions into foods. The one rule is that they cannot bake when they are feeling bad. Fast forward to the grief. Emily's aunt Gina, who she also happens to live with, dies in a tragic car accident. Emily's mom has to come home and neither of them know how to deal with their grief or live with each other. The one thing that lifts Emily's spirits is one that she has been told not to do.

Of course, Emily is a tween and she bakes anyway. It looks gross, it tastes gross, but for some reason her best friend Dae can't stop eating it. The reality is that food can't solve problems and anything that you can't stop eating, even when it isn't the taste you want, has to be bad for you. What needed to happen was for Emily and her mother to actually talk to each other. They both needed to deal with their grief.

The artwork is wonderful and I love the wide cast of characters, I just struggled with such a dark story packaged in graphic novel format. I watch students pull books simply because they are graphic novels, and looking at the cover, I never would have guessed that it was about such a challenging topic. I realize that the topic is needed, it is just a challenging issue.

In the world of Crumble feelings can be baked into treats and passed along to the consumer. Need a boost of confidence for an upcoming presentation? Try a Millionaire Shortbread Cookie (recipe included)! Emily and her friend Dae help her aunt out in the shop, baking (and testing) out the treats she sells. But what happens when tragedy strikes and you no longer have any good feelings left to bake?

This novel started out fun and humorous, with nice bright, eye-catching artwork. Emily felt she had a pretty great life, other than not being able to make marshmallows (recipe included). She had great friends, a great aunt, and seemed to be okay only seeing her Mom in person once a month. They never really go into much detail about how the feelings are baked in - like, do you need to feel confident when you are baking for confidence? - but it is still a fun concept. I also liked that there were several recipes included in the book, although some of them were a bit more involved than I expected - I'm with you Emily, making marshmallows is a pain!

I'm really not sure how I feel about Emily's Mom. She travels constantly for work, leaving the raising of her child to her sister, which seems like a very selfish thing to do. Don't worry, that selfishness 100% carries on through the book as she leaves Emily to try to sort out her own life and feelings without the emotional support of any adults in her life. While I know that that was an important part for the story to move forward, it still didn't sit well with me. That being said, I don't think it will affect the target audience the same way it did me.

Thank you, Net Galley for the chance to read this book. It may not have been my favorite, but it will still end up in my library.

A lovely story of grief and how to cope with this. Our protagonist makes magical food with her aunt that imparts emotions and qualities to people who eat it. But when tragedy strikes, she must navigate this new situation, the grief that comes with it, and how to move forward in life.

This story is as sweet as it is sad, and honestly would probably be a great intro to grief if not yet encountered, or encountered currently. The art style is lovely and the characters are very relatable.

I received this book at the beginning of the month I believe. It was a very quick read with me finishing most of it in about a day.

First I want to talk about the illustrations. They are so clear, vibrant, and overall adorable. From my experience with teaching children and in university, I’ve learned that children flock to books that have clear illustrations that are easy to follow. I believe that this graphic novel will appeal to children, especially little girls.

Crumble follows a girl named Emily and her family that have the unique ability to bake emotions into the treats they sell at the family bakery. The story deals with strong emotions and a tragic family event involving the MCs aunt named Gina. Meredith and Andrea did a fantastic job at portraying the characters emotions throughout the story. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to children under 9 because of the topics involved.

It's a super cute graphic novel that deals with grief, magic and food. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to my friends and their kids.

Cute graphic novel that suits upper elementary level. This book tackles food, emotions, and growing up, so high interest for many!

OOF! This one got me right in the feels!
A super adorable graphic novel about how hard it can be to continue while grieving. I think it does a wonderful job of not only covering what grief looks like for children but different outlets in which to deal with the weight. We follow a baker who has feeling magic. She's able to infuse her baked goods with emotion and even help you boost your own for different reasons.
When a traumatic event occurs, she worries about losing her magic and how to deal with the changes in her life. Very Bright and Colorful even though it covers a super heavy topic.
I thought it was very well done.

A wonderful exploration. A very cozy graphic novel. Deals with the tribulations of teenage hood. Will update with a full review within a week

This was fantastic. I love the overall message of grief and the role it plays in our lives. I love the use of food (including recipes!) and its use for connection. I think this will be in high demand in my middle school library, especially with fans of Raina Telgemeier!

Crumble is a beautiful and colorful graphic novel for MG readers. Emily has a gift.She and her family can bake emotions into the desserts they sell at their bakery. If you need confidence, you got it! Need some relief, you're in luck! The only rule is you cannot bake with negative emotions... but Emily is struggling with the death of her aunt and baking is what she needs to feel better. Emily breaks the rules, bakes, and causes quite a few problems because of it! An emotional book about dealing with the tough feelings that come along with grief, the power of friendship, and the importance of family.

I received an electronic ARC from Algonquin Young Readers through NetGalley.
An interesting premise - bake feelings into desserts. Emily's family has this magical talent. Her aunt runs the bakery while her mom travels and teaches about this. Emily is allowed to bake and experiment and with the exception of one dessert produces treats that meet emotional needs. Her best friend Dae is her number one cheerleader and taste tester. Sadly, tragedy strikes and her aunt is killed in an accident. Readers walk with Emily through the initial grief, funeral and wake and easily see the tremendous feelings bubbling inside her. This grief and sadness continues until Emily decides to break a rule and bake bad feelings into a dessert. This makes her feel better but makes everyone who eats it ill. Readers get a look at how hiding emotions only prolongs the feelings. She tries several times to talk with her mom who is caught in her own grief storm. Finally, Emily confesses what she did and her mom helps her find a solution to help everyone feel better. She mends her relationship with Dae and gets help to cope with the pain.
Tenderly written by McClaren. Readers will connect with the strong emotions and the desperate need to put them somewhere so they go away. They will also understand family dynamics when everyone is caught in strong emotions and not able to share with each other. She still manages to keep the story in the lighter affirming area of literature. The artwork is colorful and brings out the magic.

I love books about baking and especially love that this one delves into the sadder emotions as the baker learns to navigate a recent death of a beloved aunt and her parent’s grief too. Love the genderfluid diversity and representation of diverse families. Wrapped up a little quickly and simply for me, but still a satisfying quick read.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/a40dd56c-92de-45ba-8712-a559728cdb5c

With very cutesy illustrations and recipes included, Crumble starts very happy and fun, with a great premise of literally making people feel better with baked goods. But the unexpected death of Emily’s aunt hits very hard and we see both Emily and her mom working through their grief, and can see the struggle. Also because of their power’s stipulation to not bake when feeling bad, Emily feels a double loss of the person helping to raise her and her favorite activity. Using food as a symbol of their grief it can be easier for a younger audience to understand and to help empathize how grief can affect others. A cute but sad middle grade graphic novel, fans of ‘Sheets’ by Thummler and ‘Ghosts’ by Telgemeier will likely be drawn to this as well..

This is a seasonally appropriate book. Our main character has just a little bit of baking magic. She can bake her feelings and make her treats share those feelings with others. Her aunt is a master at this, but this book takes a sharp turn when the Aunt passes away unexpectedly. Back to our main character who has to find a new normal as she learns why you don’t bake when you’re feeling bad. This book is sad but still lovely. It’s a realistic look at a child’s grief after losing someone they’re close to. The illustrations are fun and bubbly and help out the sadness within its pages.