An innovative and inspiring activity book…
Two pancakes set out to teach their classmates the benefits of making smart choices in Coleman’s deliciously readable children’s picture book. It was an ordinary morning when Pablo and Priscilla Pancake jumped out of a frying pan and ran outside. After they find refuge in an empty cabin in the woods, the duo begins to wonder about their real purpose. They realize their purpose after they join Panfry Primary School and encounter “human” classmates smoking and talking about drinking and doing drugs. The pancakes pair sets out to teach their classmates the danger of drinking and doing drugs, unaware teaching children something good is an art in itself. They have to get really creative or risk facing failure. With just a few lines, Coleman makes his characters effectively emote. The pancakes, Pablo and Priscilla, each delightfully charming, provide abundant entertainment, as well as insights about making smart choices and cultivating habits of hard work and healthy eating. There’s also a horde of funny situations, loads of delicious food items, expert cooking, endearing bonds of friendship, and well-meant life-lessons. The text is simple enough for little ones, encouraging interaction while teaching knowledge and etiquettes, and the rhyming prose is easy to follow, keeping the youngsters invested: “There were cutting boards, tongs, and a silver grate./ On the table she put silverware and napkins/ and decorated plates on which they ate./ The DanSing Pancakes’ food was so yummy./ They spent most of the day laughing/ and stuffing food into their tummy.” Aubrey Morgan Foster and Tracy Foster Pyke’s energetic and playful digital illustrations, done in bright colors, are lively. Clever spreads, such as Pablo’s and Priscilla’s escape from the kitchen right in the beginning perfectly capture the pair’s mischievous personalities. The “scan and play” audiobook by voiceover narrator and actress Shayna Small will engage children’s auditory senses. There is a QR code that will take readers to a hot new song, written and performed by legendary Platters® lead singer, Joe Coleman, with a cameo part from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, DC. The accompanying pledge sheet will encourage children to sign while additional fun activities will inspire participation from young readers, motivating them to send their drawings and contest answers for posting on the book’s website (with parents’ permission). This excellent book that will help initiate conversations about the danger of drugs, smoking, and alcohol is a must-have for school and public libraries as well as youngsters’ book-shelves.
DanSing Pancakes’ Healthy Choices Musical Story
Joe Coleman (Author), Aubrey Morgan Foster (Illustrator), Tracy Foster Pyke (Illustrator)
Pub date April 25, 2022
ISBN 979-8810747536
Price $19.95 (USD) Paperback