The 100th Customer
PreSchool-Grade 2–After resolving their rivalry inOne Pizza, One Penny(Cricket, 2003), Ben Bear and Chris Croc decide to open a restaurant. The menu features two specialties: pizza and desserts. Their first customers are a boy and his grandmother, who asks, Which is the least expensive? and then orders a small pizza for her grandson, saying that she isn't hungry. Recognizing her unselfishness, the owners pretend that the child has won a free pizza and dessert because of his status as the 100th customer of the day, so that he may share the bounty with his grandmother. He decides to repeat the experience the next day by waiting outside the eatery to count customers as they arrive. Ben Bear and Chris Croc devise a way to help him learn what the old woman taught them: a full heart is more satisfying than a full stomach. The warm, rich tones of Ferri's impressionistic illustrations complement the gentle message of the story. The customers are an eclectic group of humans and animals, all dressed in similar clothing and sharing the dining space companionably. Although not an essential purchase, the book is a worthwhile choice, especially where the first book has been popular.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, MankatoCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.