Cupcakes vs. Brownies - Zimmah Chronicles Volume 1

By: Scott King

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

Length: 2 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Struggling with his parent's divorce, 10-year-old Karim Jacobs invokes the power of a mischievous djinn to save their marriage. Twisting Karim's words, the djinn, warps reality into a place where everything is made of desserts and uses a candypunk technology. Caught in a war between Brownies and Cupcakes, Karim must stop Zimmah, save his parents, and restore the world to normal!

©2014 Scott King (P)2014 Scott King

I LOVE A GOOD KIDS AUDIOBOOK!! LOVED IT!!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

I love a good kids book on audio...and this one was so creative and fun! It addresses a tough issue for kids, Divorce...Kareem hears his parents argue right before his birthday and the D word comes up....Kareem gets very upset and runs away with his dog Lion...he runs into a djinn...an evil form of genie and makes a wish for the world to be a happy place...and poof it gets turned into a world of candy and confections...and his dog gets turned into an actual lion! In this world his Dad is the cupcake king and his mom is the brownie queen...and they are at war...Kareem sees first hand what can happen when people go to war...and ends up learning a valuable lesson...it was a very sweet story, well narrated and I loved it!!!

Fun story with a deeper meaning

What a fun story for kids with a deeper meaning on understand that there is nothing kids can do to change other people.

Great Listen for Kids and Adults!

What did you love best about Cupcakes vs. Brownies?

My eight year old nephew loved it. We listened to it on long car ride and when it was finished he asked to listen again. It does a great job of not dumbing things down for kids while still being age appropriate.

What did you like best about this story?

The world was so different and fresh. I don't think I've ever heard "Candypunk" before.

What does Eric Michael Summerer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Eric does a great job of bringing all the characters to life.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed a few times at Zimmah. He reminded me of a mix Scar from Lion King and the Genie from Aladdin.

Any additional comments?

Great Book!

Wow!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Cupcakes vs. Brownies?

I would have to agree with other reviewers and choose the cotton candy episode. It was funny yet gripping.

Have you listened to any of Eric Michael Summerer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of Eric's other reads, but I sure would take notice if I saw it now. He did a great job reading the book. Lots of enthusiasm, but not too crazy with the voices. Overall an amazing read!

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook from the author, narrator, or publisher for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Promising series

I was given a copy of this book for free through Audiobookblast Dot Com in exchange for my honest review. I have not been paid for my review. These opinions are my own.

This book is a Middle Grade adventure of Karim, a young boy, who finds a Djinn's lamp (the Djinn's name is Zimmah). Karim wishes for the world to be a happier place, and WHAM! Everything is dessert. EVERYTHING. #Candypunk Though this world should be a happy place, there is a war going on between the Cupcake King and the Brownie Queen. Rewinding a bit, prior to finding the lamp, Karim overheard an argument between his mom and dad. Karim has gluten allergies. His father was supposed to pick up vegan gluten free brownies for his birthday his mom had special ordered, he forgot. So Father went to a different bakery, believed to be gluten free and brought cupcakes, which after mom swatted them out of his hands, engaged in a verbal altercation. Results? Dad asked for a divorce.

The Cupcake King is Karim's father, but the King does not know Karim in the new setting. The Brownie Queen is Karim's mother, and again, does not know Karim. Karim races through the story with his dog (turned into a Lion) trying to get Zimmah to turn the world back to normal, and that a world made of treats was not what he meant by Happy World.

Karim learns that his parents will always argue. Always. He learns through this adventure that he can be happy even if they are not together. There are a lot of lessons that Middle Grade kids can learn and take away. The lessons are presented in a fashion that are enjoyable and not in your face about what the issues are.

My only qualm with this story is that the story ended, the lamp was tossed in concrete to be buried, but there is a second book. It is not a traditional cliffhanger, just confusing. I do look forward to reading the next book though!

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs meets jafar

Good story for kids. Good narration. Great imagery for the dessert world. I look forward to sharing this story with my kids. I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Make sure you have a snack when you listen

We thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of Cupcakes vs Brownies. The reader performed it well...especially in infusing emotion into Karim. The world the book creates is incredibly well thought out - there is no food detail left out and lots of little touches woven throughout that make this fantastic world seem so real.

There are some dramatic moments (a dear character in peril and a pretty intense battle scene) that may be iffy for younger or more sensitive kids. But my 7YO was fine with it.

Karim comes across like a bright but relatable 10 year old boy and his family situation feels very real. Kids will love the sweet treat details but will likely relate to Karim just as a kid.

But mostly - the author does such a great job setting this scene - it consistently made me hungry while we listened! So consider yourself warned!