Blog Tour Review: The Great Caper Caper by Josh Funk Illustrated by Brendan Kearney

Beagles & Books is thrilled to be a part of The Great Caper Caper Great Virtual Virtual Tour! Special thanks to author Josh Funk for the invite and for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:
Title: The Great Caper Caper ((Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast #5)
Author:  Josh Funk
Illustrator: Brendan Kearney
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Pub. Date:  November 15, 2022

When Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast awake one morning to near-darkness, they are aghast. Who would steal the fridge light? Could it be the evil Count Caper? (spoiler alert: yes. Yes it is.) Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast put a crew together with all their old friends (Baron von Waffle, Inspector Croissant, Miss Brie, and more) and plan a delicious heist to get the light back and save the fridge once again!

Review:

“Oh my crepes!” utters Lady Pancake when she and Sir French Toast discover the Great Light in the refrigerator has gone missing.  Darkness does not sit well with Toast or the other foods who reside in the fridge. Who could be the culprit? Perhaps the light past Pita Plateau will provide the answer.

Upon arrival, the illuminated Welcome to Fabulous Las Veggies sign is hard to miss.  When they find out that Count Caper is in charge, Pancake and Toast waste no time and asks about the Great Light.  Count Caper adamantly denies stealing but readers know he is not telling the truth.  How do they make him confess? Problem solving Pancake whips up a plan to return the Great Light to its rightful place.  With the help of other series characters such as Inspector Croissant and Baron von Waffle, can Pancake and Toast succeed?

I adore The Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series!  Funk keeps kids (and adults) engaged with his bouncy, rhyming text, novel and lively characters, and intriguing plot.  Kearney’s detailed and imaginative  illustrations bring both the characters and setting to life. As I read the story, the kids were captivated by the artwork especially the final page spread of the “Berry Manilow” show as well as the “photos” of the food hanging out in Las Veggies.

After reading The Great Caper Caper to my kindergarten #classroombookaday class, I asked students the following questions to unpack the lesson of the story.

• “Who did something unhelpful or hurtful in the story?”
• Why did Count Caper take the Great Light?
• When the Great Light was found, what did Lady Pancake ask Count Caper to do?
• How did Count Caper feel when he returned the Great Light?

Collaboratively, we were able to identify one of the lesson is if you tell the truth and return what you take, you feel better and your friends may forgive you.  Character motivation was also a big part of the plot and I mentioned why Count Caper stole the Great Light so the kids could better understand him.  Friendship is another important theme because Lady Pancake wanted to help Sir French Toast because he was afraid of the dark.  Finally, we discussed how all the foods collaborated on Lady Pancake’s plan to get back the Great Light; therefore, another lesson is when a problem arises in the classroom, we must work together as a team to solve it. I love how The Great Caper Caper supports teaching theme to our youngest learners while still providing opportunities to laugh out loud! 

If you haven’t feasted on the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series, the time is now! 

About the Author:
Like the characters in his books, Josh Funk doesn’t like being told how stories should go―so he writes his own. He is the author of a bunch of picture books, including My Pet Feet, illustrated by Billy Yong; the popular Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, illustrated by Brendan Kearney; How to Code a Sandcastle, illustrated by Sara Palacios; and Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude, illustrated by Stevie Lewis. He lives in New England with his wife and children. Learn more about him at www.joshfunkbooks.com and follow him on social media:

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