Edible Book Challenge to crown winner, raise funds for Poplar Bluff Library

Updated: 6 p.m. April 8

The Friends of the Poplar Bluff Public Library’s Incredible, Edible Book Challenge featured plenty of treats, puns and imagination this past weekend.

“It is national library week; we wanted to do something,” said Joyce Whitworth, president of the Friends of the Poplar Bluff Public Library. “With that in mind (and) doing some research this came to mind, and what fun.”

Students from the Poplar Bluff Junior High School entered "The Loraz" by Dr. Suess. DAR/Michelle Friedrich

Poplar Bluff’s Incredible, Edible Book Challenge reportedly joins Italy, Brazil, Australia, Japan and other international festivals since 2000.

“It is our first attempt; we’re learning as we go,” explained Whitworth. “We are not going to eat the delicious books this time (since) we had to separate it into two days. It just for presentation, the fun of it, the humor of it.”

“Where the Crawdads Sing” submitted by the Monday Literary Club was chosen as Best in Show winner.

Each entry had to represent a book — look like a book, be inspired by the book or be a “sweet book title pun.”

Ninety percent of the entry parts had to be edible, and the entries came from clubs, businesses, families and individuals.

Thirty-one entries were dropped off Saturday afternoon.

“They really came in” Saturday, Whitworth said.

Entries, Whitworth said, were submitted by the Poplar Bluff Junior High students, as well as many of the book clubs in town and individuals.

The junior high entry, “The Lorax” by Dr. Suess, ended up winning the People’s Choice Award.

“They did everything; they are so proud of it,” said Whitworth, who had indicated Friday she was looking forward to seeing the pun entries that would be submitted.

“The puns are the funny thing, just being creative and having a sense of humor, and what better way to promote reading that with an edible book,” she said.

Among the “puns” were “Great (Grape) Expectations;” “A Mint Summer’s Ice Cream (A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream);” “The Lord of the (Onion) Rings;” “Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (Cone);” and “Mean Jeans the Reese’s Queen (The Recess Queen).”

Another of the puns was entered by the M.F. Chapter of P.E.O. It featured layers of ham and cheese sandwiches, as well as tomatoes and pickles surrounding a bobble head of former St. Louis Catcher Mike Mathney.

“‘Catcher in the Rye’ is a favorite, and anytime I can put Mathney, even though we don’t have him anymore … plus I had the bobble head,” said Carol Davis. “I’ve got The Catcher in the Ham and Cheese on Rye.”

Making the entry, according to Davis, was fun.

“Anytime you can do something to promote the library and reading, I’m all for it,” Davis said.

The lone business entry was the Donut House’s “Treasure Island,” which was one of two to feature that book title.

Lisa Rose and her son, Fischer Rose, were among the approximately 10 individual entries.

“That’s Fischer’s,” Lisa Rose said pointing to the entry for “Dairy of a Wimpy Kid” which ended up winning the Family & Individual Category.

Lisa Rose’s entry was for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” which was one of five honorable mentions in the category.

“Those are his favorite stories, his favorite books to read,” Lisa Rose explained. “He’s loved them for a long time.

“I love ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar.’ It’s the 50th anniversary year. I thought it would be a good way to celebrate that.”

Lisa Rose said she and her son had “a good time doing it. It was a lot of fun.

“We both enjoy crafts; this was a new way to do something crafty,” she said.

Lisa Rose’s cake started out bundt shaped then was cut and pieced together form a caterpillar.

“He did the sketches (including of the Wimpy Kid), drew that free hand on the fondant,” she said.

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by the Book-It Book Club was the Clubs & CLasses Category winner.

The public voted on the People’s Choice Award on Sunday before winners were announced.

The event is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Poplar Bluff Public Library, and the money is used to support the library.

With the money, “we help the library” and it’s “summer reading (program), reading through the different seasons, summer, fall, spring (and) winter, the prizes there,” Whitworth explained.

The group, she said, also buys new books and anything “that comes up that is necessary, so that we can support the Poplar Bluff Library.”

Whitworth hopes the event catches on and is even bigger next year.

Honorable mentions were:

Family & Individual Category — “Mean Jean the Reeses’s Queen” by Susan Wilson, Jessica & Kiki Shimbo; “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Lisa Rose; “Meals on the Bus” by Mary Provance; “Bull Mountain” by Linda Murphy; and “Treasure Island” by Linda Surber.

Clubs & Classes Category — “Cathcer in the Rye” by P.E.O. Chapter MF; “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” By PBHS Mrs. Jennie Randolph’s Language Arts III, first hour; “The Lorax” by PBJHS Life Sikks Class; “Lord of the Onion Rings” by PBHS Mrs. Randolph’s LAIII, first hour; and “A Mint Summer Ice Cream” by PBHS Mrs. Randolph’s LA III, eighth hour.