Sunday pancakes

The goal is to eat pancakes for Sunday breakfast--but to do that, a lavender cat and its friends, a teal rabbit and pink bear, have to actually make them. First, Cat realizes that the fridge lacks both eggs and milk. Rabbit has eggs, though, and also arrives bringing fresh-picked blueberries and carrots; Moonbear brings milk and some special honey. Chaos quickly follows when Rabbit spills ingredients on the floor, Moonbear slips on a carrot, and the freshly opened flour covers everyone ("POOF!") in a cloud of white. But the trio's affection for one another runs deep; they quickly recover from the mishaps (flour-covered Bear embraces a polar bear mien, letting out a jokey "GRRRR!" as the others giggle). And when Rabbit makes a misshapen pancake, the friends immediately realize that it resembles Moonbear's head, and intentionally make two more pancake portraits with blueberry eyes: "TA-DA! It's us!" With characters who resemble plush toys, a cheery pastel palette, and off-the-cuff-sounding dialogue, Tatsukawa (The Bear in My Family) creates a hanging-out-in-the-kitchen mood that embodies the essence of home cooking's joys. The pancakes are conveyed as indeed delicious (the characters make more for dinner), but for readers, they're really just icing on the cake of witnessing characters who make each other feel cozy and welcome. A pancake recipe concludes. Ages 4--8. Agent: Wendi Gu, Sanford J. Greenburger & Assoc. (May)

A furry trio go on a breakfast adventure. A striped purple kitty wants pancakes for breakfast. Dialogue serves as the narrative as Cat goes through the ingredients list and quickly realizes that milk and eggs are needed. Cat uses a string telephone to ask a blue rabbit and a red moon bear for the items and their company. Surrounded by simply textured whimsical trees, the friends each set out for the house, with Rabbit singing about pancakes along the way. The friends' attempts to make pancakes yield comic results. Rabbit trips, spilling ingredients, which leads to more slips and nearly ruins the honey and eggs. After creating a poof of flour that envelops the group, Rabbit decides to stick to cleanup duty. Cat flips the pancakes while Moonbear looks on. Modeling creativity and patience, the friends eventually enjoy their pancakes, making the best of mishaps along the way. After a group nap, the friends wake up to a new surprise. With each page divided into panels, the simple colored cartoons, rendered in a warm palette, exude softness. Japanese culture is incorporated through a few ingredients and household objects, and a pancake recipe is included. A delightful, delectable read. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.