CORA'S CAKE
Author: Billy Treacy
Illustrator: Richard Watson
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Number of pages: 24
Publisher: Oxford University Press First published in: 2025 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? No Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Stories for Maths series) Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK Synopsis by the author/publisher
It's Cora's birthday! Her friends are preparing a surprise party for her, but everyone brings the same thing ... a cake! But then they have a great idea. Meanwhile, Cora plans a surprise of her own. Stories for Maths helps develop maths success through the power of story. |
“'If we put the cakes on top of each other, we can make one giant cake,' explained Ralf. 'After all, Cora loves cake!' [...] Netty put her chocolate cake on top of Scooter's fruit cake. Then Ralf put his sponge cake on top of Netty's chocolate cake.”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Billy Treacy’s ‘Cora's Cake’ (2025) is part of Oxford University Press’s new Stories for Maths series. The story follows Cora and her monster friends as they prepare for her birthday party. Through engaging scenarios involving birthday balloons, cake decorations, and adding layers of cake, young readers get to children explore the concept of addition, learning how to combine quantities to make more. We particularly enjoyed how the story incorporates relatable and imaginative activities like building a giant layered cake, which not only reinforces the concept of “adding more” but also adds a layer of fun. The charming illustrations by Richard Watson bring the quirky monster characters to life, keeping young readers engaged and entertained. The use of visual aids, such as number lines is an excellent pedagogical feature for developing young readers’ early mathematical understanding. The suggested question prompts at the bottom of many of the pages (e.g., "Ralf had three strawberries on his cake. He added two more strawberries. How many strawberries are there in total?”) encourage children to engage with the story while practising mathematical thinking. Overall, ‘Cora's Cake’ is a fantastic resource for teachers and parents looking to introduce (or reinforce) the concept of addition with children aged 4+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author.)
Recommended age range:
4+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Addition & Subtraction
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
Billy Treacy’s ‘Cora's Cake’ (2025) is part of Oxford University Press’s new Stories for Maths series. The story follows Cora and her monster friends as they prepare for her birthday party. Through engaging scenarios involving birthday balloons, cake decorations, and adding layers of cake, young readers get to children explore the concept of addition, learning how to combine quantities to make more. We particularly enjoyed how the story incorporates relatable and imaginative activities like building a giant layered cake, which not only reinforces the concept of “adding more” but also adds a layer of fun. The charming illustrations by Richard Watson bring the quirky monster characters to life, keeping young readers engaged and entertained. The use of visual aids, such as number lines is an excellent pedagogical feature for developing young readers’ early mathematical understanding. The suggested question prompts at the bottom of many of the pages (e.g., "Ralf had three strawberries on his cake. He added two more strawberries. How many strawberries are there in total?”) encourage children to engage with the story while practising mathematical thinking. Overall, ‘Cora's Cake’ is a fantastic resource for teachers and parents looking to introduce (or reinforce) the concept of addition with children aged 4+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author.)
Recommended age range:
4+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Addition & Subtraction
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
