Warm, glowing colors and delicious words tell the tale of Ben Bear’s “divine pizzas” and Chris Croc’s “heavenly cakes.” The neighbors luxuriate in each other’s taste treats until one day a mouse in a limousine pays Chris Croc a gold coin for a piece of “exquisite” cake. Sudden inspiration: there’s money to be earned! Each sets up a cart and waits for customers—but each gets too hungry to wait. The gold coin passes back and forth as each animal purchases and eats the entire contents of the other’s cart. A crow, inferring the food’s quality from the empty carts, promises to bring all his friends the next day. The business future is bright, but even brighter is the story’s spirit: elegantly nostalgic, friendly, and sensuous. Illustrations are soft-edged and delightfully dreamlike. Yummy for foodies of all ages. (Picture book. 3-6)
