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The boy who only ate pancakes

Name: The boy who only ate pancakes
ISBN: 9781776231591

Jump to At a Glance & Reader Fit

Kristen Dembaremba - Author

Book DashISBN 9781776231591ENEbook

CC BY 4.0

Credits & Licence

Originally published by Book Dash. Writer: Kristen Dembaremba. Illustrator: Ulrike Mieke Marais. Designer: Nadene Kriel. Editor: Mandy Collins.

Cover resized and converted to WebP; artwork unchanged. Suitabook’s AI guidance is a separate assessment.

Original Book on Book Dash

A playful family story about a child’s strong food preference and a parent’s inventive response, with a recipe at the end for making pancakes with added fruit or vegetables.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Food preferences· AffirmedVegetables· AffirmedFamily meals· Affirmed

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

food preferencesvegetablesfamily meals

FictionPicture book

Themes in Context

Food preferences and trying ingredients

The ending shows Rekai continuing to enjoy pancakes while his mum varies the additions, including spinach, carrots, strawberries and apples.

How the book presents it: The story presents the recurring additions as a fun surprise, while showing Rekai continuing to enjoy the pancakes.

Talk about: Could Rekai enjoy new ingredients in a different way if he knew what was in the food?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The bright illustrations make the food and characters easy to follow. It could prompt a relaxed chat about favourite foods, trying ingredients, and what makes a meal feel appealing.

What Deserves Attention

Rekai’s mum hides vegetables in his pancakes, and the story presents her pleased reaction positively. Families may differ on whether concealing ingredients feels acceptable or whether children should be told.

A Conversation Worth Having

How might Rekai feel when he discovers what was added, and would knowing about the ingredients beforehand change how he responds?

Reading Approach

Pause at the recipe and look together at its pictured ingredients. Invite the child to choose a possible addition, without making the story a test of what they should eat.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. The complete text and illustrations were available for this guide.

What remains unconfirmed

Food preferences and trying ingredients: The story does not show whether this approach suits Rekai beyond the pancakes or how he feels about it after discovering the hidden ingredient.

Book Dash — The boy who only ate pancakes

Complete story and illustrations · ISBN 9781776231591

Checked: 8 October 2026.

Relevant to: Food preferences and trying ingredients

Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.

Heidi