Lulu Bell and the Birthday Unicorn by Belinda Murrell

Chapter 1
The Cake
    Lulu and her best friend, Molly, were in the kitchen, helping Lulu’s mum. Lulu was adding the final decoration to a mermaid birthday cake, and Molly was spooning chocolate crackle mixture into patty cases.
    â€˜Do you think the mermaid needs another pearl in her hair?’ asked Lulu.
    On a large wooden board was the most beautiful cake Lulu had ever seen.It was a mermaid with long curly hair made of spun sugar. Her tail was a silvery-green that shimmered and sparkled. She swam upon a sea of crunchy blue lollies. All around her were golden fish and shells.

    Lulu’s mum was an artist. She hadspent hours sculpting the mermaid body and mixing the icing. Lulu had helped to choose the colours. It was just the right cake for her little sister Rosie’s sixth birthday party.
    â€˜Three pearls looks perfect,’ said Lulu’s mum. ‘Rosie will love it.’
    At their feet was Jessie, the smiliest dog in the world. Her long pink tongue lolled out and she thumped her tail on the floor.
    â€˜It looks way too good to eat,’ agreed Molly. ‘You should take a photo of it.’
    The girls admired the cake while Mum snapped some photographs. Jessie snuffled around and licked up specks of green icing from the floor. Pickles, one of the family cats, stalked into the kitchen. She hissed at the big brown dog and chased her away.
    Over in the corner, curled in her basket, was another dog: Jessie’s mother, Asha. She was grey around her muzzle and much quieter than her daughter. She lifted one ear and watched everyone with alert brown eyes.
    â€˜Great, that’s done,’ said Mum. ‘We’ll leave it on the bench for the icing to set. Now, we still have to finish the chocolate crackles, make the blue jelly and bake a big batch of brownies. And make sure Gus doesn’t stick his fingers into anything.’
    A loud shout came from the back garden. The door banged open. A tiny superhero ran through the doorway and skidded to a halt right by the table. A pair of brown eyes gleamed through a black mask. They stared straight at the chocolate crackles.
    â€˜Hello, honey bun,’ said Mum.‘Are you having fun?’
    â€˜I not honey bun,’ insisted Gus. ‘I Bug Boy.’
    Gus was wearing a red-and-green superhero outfit that Mum had made. It had a long green cloak and green leggings. Gus loved it so much that he refused to take it off – even when he was having a bath.
    â€˜Isn’t he adorable?’ cooed Mum.
    Lulu glanced at her friend and raised her eyebrows. Molly giggled. Lulu loved her younger brother and sister. But sometimes their antics could be a little annoying. She prided herself on being the practical one in the family.
    â€˜I not ’dorable – I Bug Boy,’ Gus shouted. He grabbed a chocolate crackle from the plate and ran off. Jessie chased at his heels.
    â€˜Gus,’ Lulu yelled after him, her hands on her hips. ‘That’s for Rosie’s party.’
    Gus, of course, didn’t reply. Mum smiled lovingly and kept mixing the brownie batter.
    The door to the lounge room swung open. It revealed Rosie. A cloud of finedark hair framed her face. She wore a white dress, sparkly silver thongs and a pair of feathery angel wings. She was using both hands to carry a big basket of pencils, pastels and paints.

    â€˜I’m going to start decorating the lolly bags,’ announced Rosie.
    â€˜Look, Rosie,’ called Lulu. ‘We’vefinished the mermaid cake. It looks amazing.’

    â€˜Oooooh,’ squealed Rosie. She leaned over the platter. ‘She’s beautiful, Mum, thank you. That is the best cake I have ever seen.’
    Mum kissed the top of Rosie’s head. ‘A pleasure, honey bun. The lolly bags are on the table.’
    Asha came to lie under the kitchen table to keep Rosie company.
    Next, Lulu and Molly made turquoise-blue jelly. Mum poured boilingwater onto the jelly crystals in the