Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast Short & sweet

PreS-Gr 2--Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are off on a new adventure, and this one has a sci-fi twist! The delicious duo are feeling a little off when their friend Baron von Waffle suggests a cure from Professor Biscotti's laboratory--a despoiling ray. However, the despoiling ray has some unintended side effects, and Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are transformed into tiny versions of themselves.The pint-sized pair are terrified of the Baron and take off on a cross-refrigerator race, leaving their friend the Baron to find a cure for both their size and perhaps their friendship. As in other books about Pancake and Toast, this is full of fun rhymes, funny puns, and amazing vocabulary. Perfectly framing it all is Kearney's art work, featuring expressive faces and a warm color palette. The science fiction spin is a terrific addition to the series, while the problem-solving that Professor Biscotti needs to do has a natural tie-in to STEAM activities. Younger students will enjoy the baby-sized versions of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast, and thinking about food in a playful and creative way will offer lots of activity options for teachers and parents. VERDICT A series that just keeps improving, with an adorable couple taking center stage. A must purchase.--Debbie Tanner, SD Spady Montessori Elem., FL

A technological treatment goes awry for these fan favorites, creating monstrously good fun. When Sir French Toast and Lady Pancake start to turn green with decay (gasp!), a new treatment offered by Professor Biscotti malfunctions, turning them into children. Baron von Waffle, their enemy-turned-friend from previous episodes, is struck with remorse for recommending the procedure and tampering with nature. But the shrunken versions of Toast and Pancake do not remember him. Thinking he is a monster, they run away over various obstacles made of other foods. In this fourth installment of the adventures of these clever fridge friends, the syncopated text shines, building the suspense and pace with rhyming couplets. The illustrations continue their gastronomic creativity, with Fjords of Farfalle and Bran Canyons and buildings created out of everyday foodstuffs for each picture. In the end, Waffle cooks up a sweet solution for returning the shrunken Toast and Pancake to normal. The underlying theme about fixing problems one has created is subtle, and forgiveness reigns among the entire royal cast. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 30.3% of actual size.) The quality remains consistently high for this series, linking edibles and emotions with excitement and ease. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.