Pat-a-Cake Dough Book and Kit

Barbara M. Buetter conducts creative-writing workshops for children and
is the author of Simple Puppets from Everyday Materials.

This attractive kit for parents and young children includes four small
containers of modeling dough and an inviting book of directions. The
text is written for reading aloud and aims to encourage parents and
children to work together, stimulating creativity and developing the
child’s fine motor control. Each spread includes project directions,
poems, and other ideas. Colorful, lighthearted illustrations bring the
pages to life. The fluorescent inks used throughout resemble the colors
of the dough, which is soft and easy to work with. The dough can be
hardened by baking, though it loses its vibrancy when dry.

All the 25 projects—which range from tiny thumb pots to rainbows and
finger puppets—can be completed with the dough provided and such basic
tools as a straw, a plastic knife, ribbon, or markers. Included in the
book is a recipe for homemade dough. Recommended.