A missing sandwich leads to a shaggy dog, er, bear story with a surprise twist.
"By now I think you know what happened to your sandwich. But you may not know how it happened," says an offstage narrator. "It all started with the bear." A black bear, sleeping on the title page, rises on its hind legs, as if responding to the introductory remarks. Drawn by "the scent of ripe berries," the furry fellow stows away on a red pick-up truck. A three-part series of vignettes grow larger in size as the ursine hero climbs into the back, feasts and sleeps. The Golden Gate Bridge tells readers that the "high cliffs" rising up around him are the buildings of San Francisco. The forest there is "like nothing he'd ever seen before." Sarcone-Roach's palette feels timeless; the buildings match the truck, the cars and arched doorways match the sky, and the sun-kissed facades look golden. As the bear looks about in wonder, the farmer stares at the back of his red pick-up, scratching his head. Children will love knowing more than the bear does (and more than the sandwich owner), and the author's consistent hues throughout create a self-contained world.
As "leafy green smells led the bear to new fun," Sarcone-Roach shows a park with a slide, and "that is when he saw it./ Your beautiful and delicious sandwich. All alone." But alas, the thief has witnesses: an attentive pen of pups! After a few more turns, the ending delivers its final surprise. Did the bear eat the sandwich? --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness