Picture Books about Pancakes, Pajamas, and Breakfast

I’m pretty sure I never thought I’d write a post entirely about pancake books, yet here we are.

When we had our Pancakes & Pajamas party a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find plenty of books from which to choose for kids to read as they arrived.

I realize that many, many people will never find themselves wanting a dozen or so stories about breakfast. If you are planning a sleepover, Pancakes & Pajama party, community pancake breakfast, or just love the meal, then you’re in the right place. 🙂

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Judi Barrett): “If food dropped like rain from the sky, wouldn’t it be marvelous! Or would it? It could, after all, be messy. And you’d have no choice. What if you didn’t like what fell? Or what if too much came? Have you ever thought of what it might be like to be squashed flat by a pancake?”
• Curious George’s Dream (H. A. Rey): “After a long day at the fair George is frustrated. It seems he is always too small! But when George falls asleep and wakes up BIG, he discovers being too large can be difficult, too, and maybe he’s the right size after all.”
• Curious George Makes Pancakes (H. A. Rey): “Every year George and the Man with the Yellow Hat attend the pancake breakfast to benefit the children’s hospital. Always curious, George finds his way to the pancake table. After making some of the most interesting pancakes the crowd has ever seen, George gets into even more monkey mischief. Activities include coloring, fun facts, and funny faces pancake recipe.”
• The Dancing Pancake (Eileen Spinelli): “The grand opening of the Dancing Pancake isn’t the only new thing in Bindi’s life: new friends, a new apartment, maybe even a cute new crush? But there are other changes, like her dad’s move to a new city, that have left Bindi confused and wondering: What will happen to my family? Will this new life ever feel normal? Among the unlikely bunch of regulars who form a makeshift community at the diner, Bindi will try to figure out how to be a new version of herself, one pancake and one silly elephant joke (her uncle’s specialty) at a time.”

• Green Dinosaur Pancakes (Kat Pigott): “Kole’s Nana is definitely a little bit magic: at her house, the Tooth Fairy always visits, Santa eats all the cookies, and the Easter Bunny leaves huge eggs. So when Nana cooks her special green-dyed, dinosaur-shaped pancakes for breakfast, Kole knows something amazing will happen. No sooner does Nana step out of the room than Kole hears a ferocious roar from his plate and his green dinosaur pancakes become huge green dinosaurs!”
• Goodnight Moon (Margaret Wise Brown): “In this classic of modern children’s literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.”
• I am NOT Going to Get up Today (Dr. Seuss): “A rhyming story that is full of laughs. ‘The alarm can ring. The birds can peep….Today’s the day I’m going to sleep,’ says a lazy boy one morning, and despite a pail of icy water, television coverage, and the arrival of the Marines, he vows to stay in bed–and he does! The repetition of concepts and words will keep children turning the pages, as will the energetic drawings. A sure draw for early readers.”

• If You Give a Pig a Pancake (Laura Numeroff): “If you give a pig a pancake, she’ll want some syrup to go with it. You’ll give her some of your favourite maple syrup, and she’ll probably get all sticky, so she’ll want to take a bath. She’ll ask you for some bubbles. When you give her the bubbles…Readers will delight in the story of an accomodating little girl who tries to keep up with the whims of a busy little pig.”

• Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast (Josh Funk): “A thoroughly delicious picture book about the funniest “food fight” ever! Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship—until they discover that there’s ONLY ONE DROP of maple syrup left. Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini. But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? The action-packed rhyme makes for an adrenaline-filled breakfast . . . even without a drop of coffee!”
• Llama, Llama, Red Pajama (Anna Dewdney): Our first Llama Llama book, that led to so many more!  |  “In this infectious rhyming read-aloud, Baby Llama turns bedtime into an all-out llama drama! Tucked into bed by his mama, Baby Llama immediately starts worrying when she goes downstairs, and his soft whimpers turn to hollers when she doesn’t come right back. But just in time, Mama returns to set things right. Children will relate to Baby Llama’s need for comfort, as much as parents will appreciate Mama Llama’s reassuring message.”
• Pancake Pandemonium (Anita Pouroulis): “You might say pancakes are little Polly’s favourite treat. Or you might say she’s a little obsessed. Either way when mum’s too busy to rustle up her favourite snack Polly decides to take the initiative. Though she ends up wishing that she hadn’t… Piles of Pancakes is a charming, rhyming-story that’s perfect for any child keen to get off the sidelines and into the thick of things. Written by Anita Pouroulis it’s typically celebrates a child’s imagination and in this case, that great American staple, the Pancake!”
• Pancakes for Breakfast (Tomie DePaola): “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.”

• Pancakes for Supper (Anne Isaacs):
• Pancakes, Pancakes! (Eric Carle):  “The barnyard rooster crows and Jack wakes up — hungry, of course! What does he want for breakfast? A big pancake! But first, Jack’s mother needs flour from the mill, an egg from the black hen, milk from the spotted cow, butter churned from fresh cream, and firewood for the stove. Will Jack ever get his pancake?”
• Rhinos Don’t Eat Pancakes (Anna Kemp):  “A rhinoceros makes the best kind of friend – and unexpected breakfast guest – in this hilarious and charming picture book. Daisy is eating her breakfast when a big purple rhinoceros strolls into the kitchen – just like that! Then it takes a bit out of her pancake – just like that! Daisy tries to tell her parents, but they’re much too busy to listen. So Daisy starts talking to the rhino instead… until her parents finally take notice of their enormous purple visitor!”
• Tyler Makes Pancakes (Tyler Florence): “Do you think pancakes come from a box? Not really! Let Food Network star Tyler Florence and Craig Frazier take you on an adventure from farm to mouth. You’ll learn how we get the best ingredients and discover that the most important one of all comes from the heart.”