Do pancakes come from a box?
Food Network star Florence has penned a children’s ode to the know-where-your-food-comes-from movement. A story told completely in dialogue, it begins with little Tyler waking from a dream in which he is the captain of a pancake spaceship. With full-on determination, he sets out on his mission to make pancakes, accompanied by his equally inquisitive dog, Tofu. Tyler’s first stop is Mr. Jones’ market for groceries. For each ingredient, the kind and patient grocer transports young Tyler out of the market and back to the farm, where chickens provide the eggs, cows provide the buttermilk and the wheat grows in flat places like Kansas. Florence brings home the message that the best food has the best (or least processed) ingredients. Without the word “organic” appearing once, the cooking-from-scratch message is loud and clear. Capturing the spirit of curiosity is Frazier’s department. The renowned graphic designer has created Tyler as a stick figure with a big round head and a pink nose. Even with a limited palette of mostly blues and ochers, wonder, humor and clarity shine from the pages. The childlike perspective featuring enormous stacks of pancakes and tiny, distant adult faces invites readers into Tyler’s real and imagined worlds.
A strong choice for foodies and all curious children. (recipe, informational page) (Picture book. 4-8)
