The Pancake Planet Panic

Cute concept, but too many clichés for my taste. The scrappy kid inventor + sensible best friend + grumpy lighthouse keeper is an ensemble we’ve seen a dozen times, and the story leans heavily on familiar beats: quirky small town, a comical animal sidekick (Button the gull), and a slapstick scene like the pancake landing on the cat. Some lines are genuinely funny, and the prose has lovely sensory touches (vanilla, lemon, syrup-brown flags), but the middle feels padded with jokes that don’t advance the plot. Also, the resolution around Grandmother Bubbles and the celebrity chef’s motives felt rushed — it’s as if the book decided the chase was the fun part and didn’t want to bother with explaining things properly. Still, kids who just want giggles and inventions will enjoy it; I just wanted something a bit fresher and less predictable.

I wanted to like this more than I did. The premise is adorable — a missing sourdough starter, a kid inventor, and a seaside chase are perfect ingredients — but the execution stumbles where it counts for me. The pacing in the middle drags: after the energetic opening with Flip and the cat, the scenes on the way to the floating stage start to feel episodic in the wrong way, as if one gag follows another without enough connective tissue. The mystery of why Grandmother Bubbles vanished and why the celebrity chef is involved never gets fully developed; motives are hinted at and then dropped, which makes the climax feel convenient rather than earned. There are also a couple of plot holes that pulled me out — how did the whispering sourdough starter disappear without anyone noticing any disturbance? Why does a celebrity chef need a floating stage in a town that already worships pancakes? For younger readers the strong imagery and silly moments will likely carry the book, but as an adult reader I wanted more depth and tighter plotting.

Short and utterly delightful. The book’s humor — Flip’s wobble, the cat-pancake incident, and Button’s squawks — will have kids giggling. The Lighthouse Keeper scenes give it heart, and the image of StackFest flags fluttering above the pier is vivid. Tight, funny, and very sweet.

A lovely, buoyant little adventure that reads like a postcard from summer. The author excels at atmospheric description — dawn bouncing off the waves like a stack of shiny plates, the smell of batter mingling with fishermen’s nets — and pairs it with physical comedy that landed perfectly for me. Juno’s tinkering is described in delightfully specific ways (the three spatula-blades, whisk-shaped tail), which makes Flip feel like a real, if nervous, character. The relationship dynamics are satisfying: Juno’s fierce creativity, Tariq’s steadying influence, the lighthouse keeper’s gruff exterior, and Button’s comic timing form a balanced ensemble. The sequence on the celebrity chef’s floating stage is both visually inventive and narratively clever; it’s where the stakes meet spectacle. If I have a complaint it’s minor — a few plot conveniences during the chase (doors that open just in time, unlikely shortcuts) feel a bit tidy — but for its intended age group the pacing and humor are spot-on. A warm, funny coastal caper that’s ideal for a read-aloud or a rainy-day binge.

So much charm packed into a weird little seaside town — loved it! Juno is my new hero (tiny bolts and big ideas) and Flip is peak chaotic cute. The image of Flip wobbling like a jellyfish and then the pancake fwopping onto Mr. Puddle’s cat made me laugh out loud. Button the gull is scene-stealing, and the humming whisk? Delightful. The celeb chef’s floating stage is such a brilliant set-piece for kids: flashy, silly, and slightly scary in all the right ways. I will say the mystery of the starter felt a touch straightforward, but honestly, the heart and humor carried it. Kids will gobble this up like a hot pancake with syrup 😋

Clever, cozy, and consistently funny. The author nails voice for a 7–11 audience without talking down: the dialogue between Juno and Tariq is crisp (Tariq’s ‘delivered it with urgency’ line made me chuckle) and the descriptive beats — syrup-brown flags, vanilla-and-lemon batter smell — build a tactile setting. The story balances slapstick (pancakes flying onto a cat) with a real emotional throughline: the missing sourdough starter and Grandmother Bubbles’ absence give the adventure purpose beyond gags. Technically solid pacing for a short children’s comedy; scenes are short and propulsive, which keeps young readers engaged. I’d nitpick a few convenient escapes during the chase, but nothing that spoils the overall fun. Great pick for classroom read-alouds or kids who love inventors and food-themed antics.

I adored this — it felt like summer morning wrapped up in a story. The opening with Flip wobbling and the pancake landing on Mr. Puddle’s cat had me smiling out loud; that exact image is the kind of tiny, perfectly weird town detail that makes Batterby-by-the-Bay feel lived-in. Juno and Tariq’s friendship is warm and believable: she’s the scrappy tinkerer, he’s the cautious brain, and together they spark a lot of the book’s charm. I also loved the bizarre supporting cast — a humming whisk that actually hums, a prickly lighthouse keeper who softens up, and yes, Button the gull is a whole mood. The chase to the celebrity chef’s floating stage is ridiculous in the best way, and the stakes (bring Grandmother Bubbles home!) are clear and heartfelt. This is a great read for kids who like funny inventions, food-based chaos, and seaside adventure. Would happily read more about Flip’s next misadventure 😊