Book Description

The Pancake Menu by Lucy Ravitch is an award-winning interactive picture book that allows kids to learn important math and personal skills while playing restaurant! Children are given a hardbound “menu” listing pancake specials, complete with colorful illustrations and silly rhymes. Kids may play alone, and see what they’d like to order or come up with a new pancake idea! Or they can play in a group, taking on the roles of diners and wait staff. Some children enjoy playing chef, ready to “cook” or draw a tasty imaginary breakfast. The book will delight and entertain kids of all ages, including special needs groups, math fans, teachers, and parents. It makes an educationally fun rainy day activity. It’s great for play-dates with a flair of dramatic play. Teachers enjoy using it for a multi-purpose math center station students love. Parents and teachers enjoy how easily kids learn currency, counting, multiplication, division, calculating percentages (don’t forget the tip!) and social skills through play. Each pancake featured comes with a photographed recipe/direction page printed inside fold-out pages. Once play is done and it’s time to eat, kids and their parents can get hands-on experience cooking and measuring ingredients. The Pancake Menu includes optional play money. FREE order sheet templates and printable “Menu Money” are available anytime on www.kidsmenubooks.com. There, parents and teachers can also find a list of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ideas by grade level. The Pancake Menu was featured on Good Morning America in April 2015, three months before its July release, and received an IPPY award in 2016. The book is suitable for children 2-12 years old. Children 7-12 will be able to play independently, while younger children will enjoy the pictures and rhymes, but may need an assistance with interactive play. Although Menu prices are set, they can be customized with sticky notes or drawn over with a dry erase marker--in order to simplify counting for younger children, or give an extra challenge for tweens. Sturdy laminated pages extend the life of the book, making it an exceptionally durable play tool.