Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle
Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle is a picture book in which compassion and courage bring everyone together.
In Sharon O’Donnell’s sweet picture book Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle, a courageous pancake defies the status quo to help out a sworn enemy.
Pancake Jake is about to go on the biggest and most important adventure of his life. For as long as anyone can remember, the Pancakes and the Waffles of Breakfast Land have been enemies, living their lives separated by the Syrup River. The Pancakes keep their recipe locked up in a treasure chest under the care of Professor ButterRich, but Jake learns that the Waffles have lost their recipe and are going to run out of waffle batter.
Inspired to help, Pancake Jake travels to Waffle Mountain where he is taken prisoner by the Queen Waffle. An epic battle between the Pancakes and the Waffles ensues, leading to the discovery of the long lost Waffle recipe. Both sides are shocked to find out that the recipe for Waffles is the exact same as it is for Pancakes. Despite looking different from one another, they are made up of the same ingredients. In the end, Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle run off to play together as friends.
Concerned with diversity, equity, inclusion, and friendship, Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle’s story takes the position that even though people may be different on the outside, they are all made up of the same things on the inside. The language is accessible, and the breakfast-themed locations are result in a lot of narrative fun. But there are some awkward transitions in the action, and the story’s pace is sometimes disjointed. Still, the characters are named in a whimsical manner, and the book’s illustrations, though simple, are bright and nostalgic.
Pancake Jake and Wally Waffle is a picture book in which, through compassion and courage, Pancake Jake works to befriend the Waffles and bring everyone together.
Reviewed by
Anna Gentry
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
