Mama Panya's Pancakes [Hardcover]

Mary Chamberlin (Author), Richard Chamberlin (Author), Julia Cairns (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

On market day, Mama Panya s son Adika invites everyone he sees to a pancake dinner. How will Mama Panya ever feed them all? This clever and heartwarming story about Kenyan village life teaches the importance of sharing, even when you have little to give.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–Mama Panya and her son, Adika, are all ready for market day where Mama is planning on using her few coins to buy the ingredients to make pancakes for dinner. Adika is so excited that he can't help inviting all of their friends and neighbors. Mama Panya is worried that his generosity may be more than her few coins and their meager supplies can provide. Luckily all of the guests arrive with gifts, and a Kenyan cross between "Stone Soup" and the story of the loaves and the fishes is realized. A recipe, map, details about daily life, and facts about Kiswahili and Kenya are included. With their bold colors, vivid patterns, and lush scenery, the illustrations will transport readers into this country to walk alongside Mama Panya and Adika on their way to market. Details from animals to foliage are depicted clearly and provide more than just a backdrop to the story; they're a great introduction to the landscape and people of East Africa. A strong selection for a read-aloud or as a supplement to units on Africa, community, or generosity.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA
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Review

"With their bold colors, vivid patterns, and lush scenery, the illustrations will transport readers into this country to walk alongside Mama Panya and Adika on their way to market. Details from animals to foliage are depicted clearly and provide more than just a backdrop to the story; they're a great introduction to the landscape and people of East Africa. A strong selection for a read-aloud or as a supplement to units on Africa, community, or generosity." --School Library Journal

"There is a timeless quality to this contemporary story about a Kenyan boy and his mother stretching their food to feed all their friends ... The old tradition of sharing all one's food with others works again. With the repetition of the phrase 'a little bit and a little bit more,' the folkloric feeling intensifies…With a recipe for spicy pancakes, information about local animals and village life in Kenya, some general facts and a map, this story will be a welcome addition to a school unit as well as traditional storytime." --Kirkus Review

"There is a timeless quality to this contemporary story about a Kenyan boy and his mother stretching their food to feed all their friends ... The old tradition of sharing all one's food with others works again. With the repetition of the phrase 'a little bit and a little bit more,' the folkloric feeling intensifies…With a recipe for spicy pancakes, information about local animals and village life in Kenya, some general facts and a map, this story will be a welcome addition to a school unit as well as traditional storytime." --Kirkus Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books (February 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841481394
• ISBN-13: 978-1841481395
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 10.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #839,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice story, April 23, 2006

By 

JZK (Hauppauge, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Panya's Pancakes (Hardcover)

My almost 3-year-old really enjoys when I read him this book. The text is not overlong, it's an smooth read, the dialogue is clever and the mother/son relationship has quite a bit of depth. The appendix page is good for older children to find out more details about Kenyan life, especially if they choose this book for a multicultural assignment.

It provides a surprising lesson on the pleasures of neighborliness.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable story!, August 7, 2007

By 

Glover's Gal "Lover of children's literature" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mama Panya's Pancakes (Paperback)

I found this book when I was searching for a story from Kenya. I was putting together a unit on Kenya for third graders and came across this book and fell in love with it. The mother and son have a sweet relationship and the message of sharing and community come through in the end. Wonderful illustrations and several reference pages at the end of the story. Mama Panya's recipe for pancakes are in there too. I made them and passed them around for my presentation.

I loved this book and used it for my unit and plan on purchasing it for my classroom in the future. A wonderful story!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book -- and we like the recipe too!, January 23, 2007

By 

A. Miller (Broomfield, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mama Panya's Pancakes (Paperback)

We had fun with this book -- my daughter thought the boy was just being "bratty" until we talked about how everyone contributed and how sharing led to more for everyone. Then she "got it", and now requests we read it often. The recipe for the pancakes is also easy and kids are able to help. Great book -- we also loved the illustrations -- some parts reminded us of life in Haiti which our Haitian-American kids loved.