Pizza
(Frank Asch Bear Book)

PreS-K--When Asch's iconic Baby Bear tries his first pizza, infatuation is evident in his psychedelic eyes. "He had never tasted anything so yummy!" On the way home, all circular shapes remind him of pizza. He dreams of aliens serving pies with inventive toppings like macaroni and cheese or peanut butter and jelly. The next morning, his parents' offers of breakfast options are repeatedly declined, since Baby Bear only wants pizza. Asch's cartoon scenes of the bear family continue to reflect a 1950s flair. Pennants on the bedroom wall, the restaurant with a moustache-wearing waiter in a tuxedo and a violinist in the background, and even Mama's modest jumper and sensible shoes reflect a pleasant nostalgia.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA