My Pancakes Taste Different Today!

by Heather Wood Galpert, Heather Wood Galpert, Barbara Cate (Illustrations)

Could a Pancake have the power to shape a child's view of their world? It was a surprise to Ethan that his favorite breakfast, a stack of steaming hot pancakes, would reveal many ways that nature and people work together. He discovered that everyone has a hand in taking care of nature. Ethan would have never guessed that his simple, innocent act of tossing an oil can into the lake, just to make a big splash for fun, could change his whole wide world. The slippery journey of the oily OOZE leaking from the can, across the lake, down the river to the beaver ponds, and into the fields of grain brought all of Ethan's friends together. Everyone pitched in to clean up the OOZE from the lake, the fish, and the fields, to get rid of the mess around the lake they all loved. They celebrated with a party and plenty of pancakes.

40 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2016

Reviews

[Leslie Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit of a children's book connoisseur. I absolutely love them and will continue to read (and purchase!) even though my own two children are aging out of them. That said, I think MY PANCAKES TASTE DIFFERENT TODAY earns a gold (5) star for being unique in it's presentation and topic matter, but an overall, 3-star product.

The illustrations are colorful and bright, but sort of lacking in professionalism, the story is quite simplistic, with some easy solutions and 'holes,' but then again, the age level that will appeal to this story is best suited for the 3-5 year old crowd, who may not notice (or care). Still yet, my kids (the youngest, 9 years old) really, really liked this story. She also was crazy about another, similar title, THE GULPS by Rosemary Wells (and illustrated by Marc Brown) as well as Curious George, but of which are great comps for MY PANCAKES TASTE DIFFERENT TODAY.

My older daughter (11 years) became so inspired, she wrote and illustrated her own story about similar themes.

As for me, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, either. And it really made me hungry for pancakes. Breakfast for lunch, anyone?!

For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute little picture book with a great little introduction to ecology. The illustrations are great and the message timely. However, it is only a great book for toddlers through perhaps 5 or 6 years of age. Having 19 grandchildren gives me a ready audience for any new children's books that I purchase or win. The younger ones really enjoyed it and we discussed the implications of putting bad things in our waters, which they understood. However, my 9 year old granddaughter came to me after the reading with one of those looks.

I asked what she thought and she was very insightful. She said that anyone old enough to go fishing by himself would realize that it would take more than a year to effect the outcome of the ingredients for pancakes. Her words were "Nanna, it takes our tomatoes 3 months to grow, so how did his flour grow so fast?" Also, she asked me how big the oil can was.

Yes, I read between the lines. lol. Children are often more aware than we give them credit for. In addition, one of the greatest things we need to teach the children is once the ecology is effected, it doesn't just bounce back so easily; which is why prevention is the key!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Pancake Breakfast Teaches Ethan About the Environment

Ethan loves pancakes before he goes fishing. His mother explains to him how animals, plants and people combine to give him the pancakes he loves, and he leaves to go fishing feeling thankful for his world. However, wanting to make a big splash in the lake where he fishes, he throws in an oil can and things begin to go dreadfully wrong.

Children, particularly three to five-year-olds, should enjoy this book, although children as old as nine may like it. The pictures are colorful and the story is easy to understand. It is also easy to read for the older children.

My only disappointment with the book is that the solution presented to the problem of pollution is simplistic and unrealistic. Parents or teachers should be ready to talk with the children about the problem of cleaning up pollution and how it is not an easy process.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

[Fran Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both heartwarming and inspiring, this sweet book about the simple joy of making pancakes as a family is also a lesson for kids about caring for the environment. Purchasers get the extra satisfaction knowing that a portion of proceeds go to kids' and environmental organizations. Awesome! Plus there's a great recipe for pancakes included! Highly recommended!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My Pancakes Taste Different Today!" begins with Ethan's mother making him pancakes. When he thanks her for them, she tells him to also thank nature and other people who help with the process of the ingredients. One day, when they taste different, it turns out nature has been tainted with an oil spill which Ethan then helps to clean up with others. His mom then makes pancakes for everyone. There are some gaps in this story, but it's a beginning for children to think about nature and where our food comes from- as well as the responsibility we have to help take care of nature/the Earth. One thing I did not like is that "Mom" still does all the cooking in this otherwise progressive book, even for everyone else. It's a minor thing but still stood out to me. The drawings are colorful, pretty simple/average quality. The colors are certainly nice for a children's book! I am not 100% sold on the story, but the message is positive/nice! Please note that I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own.

[Mike Mc Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the book. But it was a little long for such a simple book. It could have been two books. One the story of all the things and people that go into getting that plate of pancakes on the table (sun, rain, crops, farmers, etc.) the other of what happens when someone litters toxic material. The older child that will sit thru the the entire book should have more technical words than "ooze" and they are too savvy to believe that throwing a can of oil in the pond will make the pancakes taste bad the next day. But I loved the idea of including the recipe at the end of the book and the illustrations were large, full page and colorful. I think it is probably a book that should be read to younger children over two reading sessions to get their full attention.

[Linda Cain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads for the opportunity to read this book. My 3 year old grandson liked reading it with me . The concept of keeping our environment and food sources from being contaminated was presented in a simple , easy to understand way and prompted conversation about this topic. It
also showed how everyone and everything in our world is interconnected so we all have to work together to protect our environment.

[Georgia hillstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I received through goodreads giveaway, but also purchased another one for Christmas.
Ver good book on environment, pollution, how we get our food, what is in our food. I liked the pictures so colorful in that they tell the story themselves. Like the people collectively cleaning the ocean beaches. Will get people young and old to think more responsible, hopefully.

[Kai Walser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute and my nieces loved it. The artwork was a little rough but the story taught a good lesson that my nieces will grow up with.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

Could a Pancake have the power to shape a child's view of their world? It was a surprise to Ethan that his favorite breakfast, a stack of steaming hot pancakes, would reveal many ways that nature and people work together. He discovered that everyone has a hand in taking care of nature. Ethan would have never guessed that his simple, innocent act of tossing an oil can into the lake, just to make a big splash for fun, could change his whole wide world.



The slippery journey of the oily OOZE leaking from the can, across the lake, down the river to the beaver ponds, and into the fields of grain brought all of Ethan's friends together. Everyone pitched in to clean up the OOZE from the lake, the fish, and the fields, to get rid of the mess around the lake they all loved. They celebrated with a party and plenty of pancakes.



My Review:

Ethan was a child who loved adventure and one of his most favorite activities was going fishing. Every fishing trip his mother would make him a piping hot pancake breakfast. He loved this tradition so much that one day he just couldn't thank his mother enough. His mother said he she thank all the people and animals involved with his pancake breakfast and so one day he did. But he also made a costly, careless mistake that would make those delectable pancakes not taste so good.


After he remembered the mistake he made he did all he could to rectify the situation and luckily with the help of his neighbors, he was able to fix all he had done. I loved this sweet little book about pancakes. It takes a somewhat controversial subject that has happened several times in this generation and shows what we can all do to make the world around us so much better. Besides that it shows children how the world around us is involved in every single aspect of our lives, even our pancakes.


**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Sara Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep telling myself that I am taking a break from doing book reviews and, yet, they keep putting out books that I can’t resist. I was asked to help promote 2 children’s books, this being the first one. They are books so near and dear to my heart that I really struggled with the decision before giving in.

Honestly, as a foodie and a greenie, how could I say no to a book that talks about how the environment affects the food we eat?

This story starts out with Ethan and his morning pancakes. His mom explains how the WHOLE WIDE WORLD helps to make his pancakes taste so good. Excited, Ethan goes out to play in the pond and maybe fish a little. While there, Ethan makes a poor choice and dumps a can of oil in the water.

Next time he gets pancakes, they don’t taste so good because that can of oil polluted the flour.

This is a story for children and it’s unrealistic but that doesn’t detract from the moral of the story. What we do to the environment damages the food we eat. This is a terribly important message for kids to take in (and adults too). This book encourages children to see how their actions have consequences which is awesome too.

I could stay here and lecture on food and the environment but I really just want to encourage you to pick up a copy of the book. It’s fun. It’s cute. And it’s important.

When all is said and done, try the pancake recipe at the end of the book. In fact, try it with organic ingredients and compare it to the non-organic. It will have a greater impact on you and your children. And just in case you are in the choir – pick this book up and share it with your less greenie friends.

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young Ethan always eats pancakes before he goes fishing. One morning after thanking his mother for making him the "best pancakes in the world," his mother explains to him that he should also thank the farmer and the lakes and streams and every other person, creature and entity involved in helping create the goods that went into making his pancakes. That day, with a grateful heart, as Ethan goes on his fishing outing he does just that. But at the end of his day he does something, unbeknownst to him, that would cause a catastrophic chain reaction of events. As a result, the next time his mother makes his pancakes he can't help but notice they taste different.

My Pancakes Taste Different Today! is a terrific book for teaching young readers about the delicate eco-system in which we live. Children will learn, along with Ethan, how one small and seemingly innocent act can have long term detrimental effects on earth. As Ethan realizes his blunder he sets to work righting a wrong and invites his friends to join him in making his community a better place for all who live there.

My Pancakes Taste Different Today! is recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan’s favorite breakfast is pancakes. One morning as Ethan is eating his pancakes, his mother tells him how he is to be thankful for each step in the environment that helps make his pancakes good. A little while later he is fishing and throwing rocks into the river. He finds a can full of oil and throws it into the river enjoying the large splash and doesn’t think about what he just did.

The next day he realizes that his pancakes taste horrible. At first he doesn’t understand what happened when he thanked everyone for his pancakes. Then he realizes how the oil affected every part of the environment. Together with friends and family, Ethan helps to make things right.

This is a wonderful story about how both the environment works and how easy it is to ruin it. Beautiful illustrations show each step in the food chain and how one can of oil can bring everything to a messy halt.

If you are looking for a good book for a little one, look no further. My Pancakes Taste Different Today would be a great addition to any library.

I received My Pancakes Taste Different Today from PR by the Book for an honest review.

[Bonny Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

So i love a good children's book, and i wasn't sure about this one. It certainly has its flaws ~ message too simplistic, illustrations juvenile, problem and solution are unrealistic, writing a little choppy. But my goodness do my children love this book!! I'm SO GLAD we got it!! They love the simple hero who could be them since the face is so non-specific, the sweet mom, the practice of giving gratitude, the fact that everybody gets to eat lots of pancakes. They love the simple, exaggerated problem and the word "ooze" being used over and over again. They love the bright, cheerful solution involving all the neighborhood kids and, you guessed it, more pancakes. They request it to be read to them noon and night. If i get tired of reading it over and over again, i have to hide it for a few days! I've come to love this book, too. My favorite thing about it has to be the delightful cover illustration (appears inside as well) with the pancakes and syrup showing the continents of the world. Thanks to the authors for surprising me with something my kids adore.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ethan loves pancakes. He eats them in the morning before he "goes fishing." Like his mother taught him, he thanks everything that contributed to his pancakes (sun, rain, farmer, etc.) One morning he finds a can of oil and throw it into the lake. This pollutes the lake and the nearby farm where the wheat for his pancakes is grown. And later, when his mom makes pancakes, they taste bad. Eventually Ethan figures out what's making his pancakes taste bad and enlists all the neighborhood children in his project to clean up the lake.

I appreciate a children's book that tackles the idea of environmental responsibility, but this one left me cold. There were silly plot holes (e.g., Ethan "goes fishing," but never actually fishes in the illustrations). And the message of environmental responsibility was both heavy-handed and painfully simplified.

All that said, I don't mind reading it aloud and I'll read it to my daughter as many times as she wants in the future.

I received this book free from a Goodreads Giveaway. My review is unaffected by that fact.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Pancakes Taste Different Today tells the story of how we are interconnected in our current world. This is told in basic words with simple concepts for children to understand. After all, who doesn't eat pancakes with rivers of syrup poured on them?
My grandsons liked this story because it reminded them of a similar experience when they saw a similar fish kill.
I received this book through goodreads.

[Lisa Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the message could have been more subtle, it is still a good story about connectiveness, the environment, pollution, and community. I feel that it would work better as a one-on-one rather than a group read situation.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.

This was a very cute children's book. I liked that it's entertaining as well as educational. I would enjoy reading this to my future children.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a great message, but it may be better suited for older kids for them to really understand it.