Exclusive: The Pancake Trap | News and Preview

Today we have the announcement and an exclusive first look at a new middle-grade graphic novel, The Pancake Trap, by Stephanie Young and Allyson Lassiter, the creative duo who gave us Star Beasts. Oni Press will publish The Pancake Trap in June 2026; it’s the story of two sisters, a treasure hunt, and lots of pancakes. Here’s the publisher’s description:

This June, meet Maple and Margaret Sanford, two sisters who couldn’t be more different. Ten-year-old Maple is a pancake-obsessed griddle cook determined to save their grandma’s failing restaurant, Dot’s Diner. Margaret is a college-bound beauty queen who can’t wait for their mom to sell the run-down restaurant. On the last day before Dot’s Diner will be sold to the town’s multimillionaire mogul, the girls are thrown into a dangerous food-themed treasure hunt, looking for gold left by runaway outlaw Crispy Cruller. Joined by a trusty friend, a helpful robot drone, and an adorable pup, Maple and Margaret will dive deep into the twisted caves and caverns underneath their town facing one syrup-sticky flapjack trap after another. With nothing more than their grandma’s cookbook clues to guide them, will the Sanford Sisters be able to put their differences aside, find the loot, and save Dot’s Diner before it’s too late?

“I​​ cooked up the idea for The Pancake Trap based on my obsession with pancakes, my love of adventure movies, and a fight I had with my sister,” Young said. “Luckily, the fight is long forgotten, but my passions for pancakes and treasure hunts are still going strong.”

“The Pancake Trap is just the type of story I love,” added Lassiter. “It has adventure, heart, and novelty-sized danger. I am so happy that I got the chance to help bring Steph’s book to life for today’s kids to read late at night under their bedsheets with a flashlight, the way I enjoyed all my favorite books and comics as a kid.”

I love the concept of “novelty-sized danger”! Senior Editor Grace Scheipeter suggests this story for readers who enjoy food stories such as Dracula’s Brunch Club, Super Boba Cafe, and Sugar Shack. See for yourself in our exclusive preview—and enjoy!

Filed under: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, News, Previews