Review - Pancakes for Breakfast

Pancakes for Breakfast
by Tomie dePaola
Date: 1978
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

This wordless picture book follows the trials of a little old lady who attempts to make pancakes for her breakfast. “The optimistic determination of the woman and the gentle humor of the illustrations make this an appealing book for the very young.”--School Library Journal

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Wow. Those are some labour-intensive pancakes.

I probably read this book at some point during my childhood (it's almost as old as me!) but I don't really remember it. It's a wordless picture book in which a woman wakes up with a hankering for pancakes. So she gets out her cookbook, only to realize that she's missing a few ingredients. She gathers some eggs, milks a cow, churns some butter, and buys some maple syrup... only to find that her housemates have been very naughty in her absence. The book ends amusingly with the old lady imposing on some bewildered neighbours.

This book is suitable even for very young children, as there's nothing to read (except the recipe). Readers can make up their own words as they work their way through the charming illustrations.

Overall, this is one I would recommend, despite its age. It's cute and amusing, and leaves one hungry for pancakes!

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: n/a
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.6 out of 5