Ingmarie Ahvander

Stefan, now living in Jordan with his parents and little brother, misses his grandmother Elsa, back in Sweden. He misses her company, and he misses her delicious pancakes. Nothing else tastes as good. When the family come home from the baker's with a flat box, perfect for pancakes, Stefan has an idea: he will send the box to his grandma, and she can send him some of his favorite treat...

Originally published in Swedish as Farmors Pangkakor (literally: "Pancake Grandmother"), Pancake Dreams is a cute little picture-book about a young boy who is missing his grandmother. One who, despite being well integrated into his new living place, misses the taste of home. Ingmarie Ahvander's somewhat unlikely narrative is engaging, and the artwork from Mati Lepp is colorful and cute. That said, I did find myself wondering how this international family tale from 2001 would read in 2019 Sweden, given the influx of so many migrants from the Middle East in the intervening years. Would it seem privileged, to current youngsters, that Stefan and his family are able to arrange international couriers for something like pancakes, when so many displaced people wonder if they'll even see loved ones again? Or would it merely seem happy and naive, occuring in a period before the crisis began? Leaving aside these musing, and the discomfort I felt at Stefan's somewhat spoiled behavior, with regard to the pancakes when they arrive, I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for children's stories about living far from one's grandparents, or living in expatriate communities outside of one's own country.… (plus d'informations)