The Worldwide Dessert Contest

By Dan Elish

Book Overview

"NO ONE BLENDS FUNNY WITH SWEET LIKE DAN ELISH "- Billy Aronson, Emmy winning co-creator of PBS Kids' PEG + CAT

For eleven years in a row, John Applefeller has entered his highly original apple desserts in The Worldwide Dessert Contest. And every year he's watched his delectable treats turn into disasters while the evil Sylvester Sweet wins first price. But this year, when John's great creation, the world's largest apple pancake, flops, he and his sidekicks decide to seek help from the king of dessert chefs, the magical Captain B. Rollie Ragoon.

Praise for THE WORLDWIDE DESSERT CONTEST:

"The plot goes down as easily as ice cream and is topped with plenty of laughs, both subtle and broad. Certainly its silliness makes for a pithy read-aloud and a booktalker's dream. Call this delicious."

- Booklist, starred review

"Elish writes with a sure hand of this sugary world, his tongue squarely in the area of his sweet tooth. For his ability to praise desserts in an endlessly original fashion, he deserves a blue ribbon."

- Publisher's Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1787962628
• ISBN13: 9781787962620
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Olympia Publishers
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 6 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 6

Customer Reviews

AMAZING!

I read this book years and years ago when I was in...maybe 4th or 5th grade. I'm in 10th grade now and I still remember this amazing book that changed my outlook on reading forever. This book is great, wonderful, superb, astounding, amazing, creative, wickedly funny, all the good adjectives you can think of! It's got an interesting storyline of a dessert contest and is filled with creative desserts like an apple pancake turned trampoline. Children and adults alike will enjoy this wonderfully creative literary work. In fact, I think I'm going to go check it out now.

I love this book!

The first time I heard of this book was when Dan Elish visited my fourth grade class and read part of it aloud to us. I fell in love and finished the book myself. Ever since then I have tried to read it at least once a year, searching for it in any and all libraries!! It is a phenomenal book that captivates the imagination, no matter what your age. I am 17 and still don't tire of the adventures of John and Stanley!!

Ultimely supurb!!!!!!!

I first read this book is 4th grade. I stayed up until midnight reading, and then started again the next morning and didn't stop until I finished. I read it again in 5th, 6th, and I plan to read it again this year in 7th grade. Not only is is the book hilarious, but is has lots of interresting rhymes, one of which I liked so much I memorized all four pages of. If your reading this your probably thinking of buying the book; hurry up and buy it so you can read this thriling, amazing book!!!!!

GREAT!!! For kids but adults might like it

This book is about a man who always gets last place at the worldwide desert contest and what crazy things happen the year the book takes place. It is funny and interesting

Fantastic Book! Willie Wonka goes Desserts!!!

This book should be placed alongside Willie Wonka, James and the Giant Peach, and Phantom Tollbooth. Not only does Mr. Elish know how to tell a good yarn, he is clearly a craftsman. There are passages in the book that are lyrical.If you want something that will keep the kids entertained, and might actually teach them a thing or two, this is the book for you. Don't miss it!