Books for Kids: If You Give a Pig a Pancake (Virtual Book Club for Kids)

It’s one of my favorite times of the month when I get to share books for kids in the Virtual Book Club for Kids! This month’s featured author is Laura Numeroff. We chose Numeroff’s book, If You Give a Pig a Pancake!

My boys love so many of Numeroff’s books that it was hard to settle on just one to feature. But, they have a thing for pigs and pancakes too so this seemed like the one that was calling to us the most.

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If You Give a Pig a Pancake: The Story

If You Give a Pig a Pancake is a circular story meaning that it starts and ends in the same place. Pig gets a pancake and then asks for syrup to go with it. The syrup makes the pig sticky so then she wants a bath. At the end we come full circle with the pig being sticky from wallpaper glue which reminds her of syrup and pancakes! It’s a simple story, but very entertaining. It also helps that my youngest is obsessed with lawnmowers and there is a picture of one in the book too.

If You Give a Pig a Pancake: Follow-Up Literacy Activities

We decided to make a day out of the story reenacting some of the scenes from the book!

1. We started our morning with Homegrown Friends’ recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Oatmeal Pancakes. Toppings (blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips and almonds) were set out for the kids to decorate their own pancake. While they were eating, I read the boys the story again.

2. Next we had a dance party in the living room and sang songs just like the pig in the story. Dressing up in play clothes was optional! Singing is a great literacy skill to build fluency and expression.

3. The pig in the story builds a treehouse. We opted for a reading fort and enjoyed some more of Laura Numeroff’s books.

A few of our other favorites from Numeroff are: If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (If You Give…) and Laura Numeroff’s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster.

4. Later in the day, we drew pictures and got them ready to mail to grandma and grandpa. A fun and meaningful writing activity!

5. For the boys evening bath, we had a pancake sound sort bath.

Cut out ten circles for pancakes from colored foam sheets. I didn’t have a good color for pancakes so I had to use yellow (tan foam sheet would have looked a little better)!
On five of the pancakes draw pictures of things that start with the /p/ sound (pan, pizza, puzzle, paint and plate). I picked easy things to draw! Use a permanent marker to do your drawing and writing.
On the other five pancakes draw pictures that start with the /s/ sound (sock, sun, saw, six and submarine).

Note: You can select any letter sounds that you are working on for your pancakes.

Take two plastic disposable plates. Write the letter p on one and the letter s on the other.
Just add a spatula to the bath.

Now your kids are ready to flip pancakes. Have them name the picture on each pancake. Say the beginning sound of each picture and place the pancake on the correct plate.