The Ice Cream Vanishes

When snack-obsessed Squirrel, convinced it has a magical ability to make tasty treats disappear, finds a dropped ice cream cone, it enlists as its assistant Bear, who takes long enough to awaken that the frozen treat vanishes from (i.e., melts on) a sun-warmed rock. But the two soon stumble on the perfect stage for further prestidigitation: an ice cream truck momentarily abandoned by its human owner. Squirrel hits on just the magic words--"Bear, you've got to try this!"--and before a forest animal audience, Bear makes a pink ice cream cone "vanish" in one slurp. Inspired, the animals don waffle and sugar cones as hats and swarm the truck to make some magic of their own: a bunny gets covered in soft serve, and a turtle rolls an ice cream sandwich out the door. Fans of the Norma and Belly series and other bear-studded books from Sarcone-Roach (There Are No Bears in This Bakery) are sure to lap up this work--heavily stroked acrylic, gouache, and pen and pencil illustrations have all the appeal of a rainbow cone generously sprinkled with visual jokes. Ages 3-7. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary. (June)