Kids Comics Pitchfest 2023 Showcase

The ABC Bakers: Pooka Mischief!

Meet eleven-year-old Acelyn “Ace” Baxter and her pooka pal Elwood: a shapeshifting Faerie enthralled by all things human!

For Ace, winning Grand Prize at the school bake sale is only the start. Eager to make her team, the ABC Bakers, a household name, Ace persuades impish Elwood to charm their bakes. But Earth chemistry and Faerie magic prove a dangerous mix, and her scheme to sell wish-granting treats unleashes a pishogue curse! With lives at stake, can Ace undo the curse, or will she lose her heart’s desire?

POOKA MISCHIEF! is a tale of family, friendship, and a girl’s profound passion for baking. It also tells of selfish obsession, breaking rules, and standing up to stark Faerie justice armed only with wits and a talent for listening.

My Why:

My mind got snagged on a story during a research trip in the UK: a Welsh tale of a faerie bwca who helped a farmer prosper in return for fresh cream and other sweet treats – until the tables turned! This story stuck with me for years, my wandering thoughts weaving it with a tale of a similar creature: the rabbit-shaped pooka from the classic Jimmy Stewart movie Harvey. Sprinkle in my own passion for baking and fascination with folklore, and THE ABC BAKERS: POOKA MISCHIEF! began to sprout!

Though POOKA MISCHIEF touches on some threatening, as well as wondrous, facets of the faerie and human realms, the ABC Bakers will find that cleverness, good food, and a friendly ear often wins the day, whether on Earth or in Annwn, the Faerie Otherworld.