I am going to be making a high school graduation cake for my neighbour. I love all the book cakes, but I also LOVE this cake:

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1250534

(if the link doesn't work, search the term "lawyer" -- it's the third cake that comes up -- the little guy sitting on the hill with all the papers and books coming down).

I was thinking of maybe doing a large book cake, then making a little figure (maybe the deer in this one: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1236804 -- how cute is he?) and then also having all the little tiny books and crumpled papers and maybe pencils or something like that around the figure. Does that sound like too much or too messy? Any other ideas?

TIA

I think they're both cute and I love your idea. I'd love to see what you come up with

I pretty much just find cakes that I like and try to copy them. I love all the little papers in that first cake, but I also have 3 little kids and this is just for love, not money, so there are very good odds that when the time comes I will just do something that is easy and can be finished in one night. Still, I am in love with the lawyer cake.