View The Award-Winners From UC s Edible Book Festival

It’s an event that is celebrated around the world on April 1. The University Libraries participation in the International Edible Book Festival continues to grow in its number of entries and creativity.

This year, the edible book lovers looked forward to digging into 15 entries, including a pitcher of cider to reflect the book, The Cider House Rules. “We celebrated the event in the student union this year so that more people could sample the entries,” said Dean and University Librarian Victoria Montavon. “There are only two rules: It must be edible art and it must have some connection with books.”

The festival was judged by Mark Palkovic, head librarian for the CCM Library, and Deborah Weinstein, director of business affairs for Student Affairs and Services. By secret ballot vote, the audience also picked a favorite.

Here are the winning entries. The prizes were a bookmark with a tassel, featuring the name of each award:

Most Creative:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, created by Tim Zack
The submarine was made of chocolate and the “sea” was made of blue-green Jell-o.

Most Literary:
The Old Man and the Sea, created by Megan Lucas, a fine art and education major from Akron, Ohio
The old man and the boat were made of chocolate and the sea was made of blue-green Jell-o.

Most Edible:
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, created by Mary Ann McMillan, an administrative coordinator for University Libraries
The fish were fish-shaped cookies.

Sweetest:
Silence of the Lambs, created by Tracy Rebstock, library associate
The lambs were cupcakes decorated with mini-marshmallows.

Most Humorous:
Catcher in the Rye, created by Holly Prochaska, coordinator of renovation projects for University Libraries
Holly fashioned two cream cheese baseballs around her loaf of rye bread.

Most Inspirational:

Sixteenth-Century Antiphonale

, created by College-Conservatory of Music Library Cataloging Assistant Sharon Downing

This cake entry imitated, in part, pages from an antiphonale, probably Spanish, dating as nearly as can be determined, from the 16th century.  The manuscript was a gift to the College of Music from the late Martin G. Dumler (1868-1958).  It measures approximately 24 inches by 34 inches and is displayed in a case that has supports constructed from carved walnut panels from the old Conservatory of Music (Shillito Mansion) at the corner of Highland and Oak Streets. 

Truest to Form

Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats

, created by Charity Einhaus Accurso and her mother, Rose Einhaus, manager of administrative and staff development for University Libraries

The cake looked like an Easter hat, with purple icing. As she announced the awards, Montavon explained that Charity and her mother were not able to make it to the actual event to accept their award, because Charity was delivering her first baby on this April 1.

Most Whimsical
The Devil Wears Prada, created by Tracy Rebstock, a University Libraries associate
Tracy’s “devil” had a kiwi for a head and a Twizzler for a tail!

Most Colorful, and also voted the Audience Favorite

Flowers for Algernon

, created by Megan Lucas, a fine art and education major from Akron, Ohio

Megan’s “flowers” were vegetables, such as beets and broccoli, designed into flower creations. The “mouse,” perched by the vase of flowers, was designed from a yam.

Most Thoughtful
Fish! Tales, created by Peggy Walker
The fish-shaped salmon mousse was surrounded by cucumbers and goldfish crackers.

Most Classic
Animal Farm, created by Melissa Cox Norris, director of library communications
The cake had animal crackers standing in the icing.

Most Contemporary
Each Orange has Eight Slices in a Counting Book, created by Sara Harper, Geology-Mathematics-Physics Library
The display featured sliced oranges.

Most Fun
I Spy, created by Olga Hart, instructional librarian, and Barbara Macke, assistant librarian.
The top of the cake was covered with little pieces to “spy.”

Most Frightening
The Body in the Library
The creation was submitted Academic Information Technology and Libraries (AIT&L)
The edible art featured book-covered walls surrounding a “body” lying on the floor.