HOT HOT PANCAKES!

Clever use of partial pages turns a potential downer into a sweet opportunity for sharing in this Japanese import via Canada. First, of course, Max has to make batter and cook it just so—shown step by step with vertically split half pages in Nishiuchi’s bright, blocky pictures—and discover his mistake by dishing the pancakes out. Noticing his exaggerated expression of misery as he regards his empty plate, the others generously cut their pancakes into quarters and pass them over one by one…but wait, that leaves all five mice with three quarters and one piece extra. Who gets it? The fortuitous arrival of Mommy Mouse solves the problem neatly and nicely. Though the mice eat their pancakes without toppings in the illustrations, the appended recipe (which properly includes a cautionary note about adult supervision) closes with an entirely appropriate recommendation to serve with butter and maple syrup. Stack toddler-friendly tributes like Lotta Nieminen’s Pancakes! An Interactive Recipe Book (2016) and Kathryn Smith’s Pancakes With Grandma, illustrated by Seb Braun (2020), atop this yummy outing.

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