I don’t know if it’s a problem with the translation, or if it’s the fault of the editor, or if it’s just a cultural difference in story telling.  According to the information on the dust jacket, there are thirteen books published in this series in Japan, which would seem to indicate it was  popular there.  The illustrations are cute, and will attract certain readers, but the story really rambles.  It’s essentially about a community effort to raise funds to restore an old abandoned house that had once been a cafe.  They hold a homemade cake contest, selling pieces of the entries to raise money, then they all work together to rebuild the house, and everyone made themselves at home as they liked.  Except it took a long time to tell it, and the reader is never really sure what the point is.