This short novel is part of a series about a boy and his family. The Lambchop Family is comprised of Stanley, Arthur, and Mr. and Mrs. Lambchop. An unusual characteristic of Stanley, is that he can somewhat randomly become flat like a pancake! Due to this "talent," he has had several adventures. This story starts off with Stanley being bumped in the shoulder and hit in the back by a tennis ball causing him to become flat again. On further investigation, the family doctor diagnoses him with an OBP (Osteal Balance Point). When the OBP is struck, Stanley become flat but he doesn't know where this point is. Being flat has its advantages, as he helps a family friend win a sailing contest as a makeshift sail and rescues a classmate from a collapsed building. Not everything is all roses though.
Imagine being the brother of someone so famous and special. Arthur has trouble coping as a normal person and is jealous of his brother's attention. I can see how it would be frustrating to be the sibling of someone deemed a hero. It is interesting that Stanley's classmates have become accustomed to his flatness and don't really react. I thought the book was cute, but had a problem with one thing. In order to be normal again, Stanley and Arthur attempt to use a bike tire pump to inflate him as they did in the past. I sort of worry that kids might get the wrong message and not realize that that is ridiculous for a real person to do.
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