The 100th Customer - Hardcover

Kim, Byung-gyu; Hao, K. T.; Hao, Guangcai; Kung, Annie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1933327030 ISBN 13: 9781933327037

Publisher: Purple Bear Books, 2005

Synopsis

Ben Bear and Chris Croc are opening a restaurant that serves mouth-watering pizzas and luscious desserts. But their very first customers, an old woman and her grandson, order just one small, inexpensive pizza. "I'm not at all hungry," the grandmother insists, then sits and watches her grandson eat. Suddenly, Ben Bear and Chris Croc have an idea. What if they pretend this young man is really their 100th customer of the day — and that he has won free pizza and dessert? This joyous picture book shows how a simple act of generosity can bring unexpected rewards, and that a full heart can be even more satisfying than a full stomach.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2–After resolving their rivalry in One 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, Mankato
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist:

PreS-Gr. 2. Alligator and Bear have opened a pizza parlor, and among their first customers are a boy and his grandmother, who can only afford the least expensive pizza for her grandson. She doesn't share it with him, but takes pleasure in watching him enjoy it. The observant proprietors understand what's going on and inform the two that, as the 100th customers, they are entitled to a free pizza. The next day, they notice the boy outside counting customers so that he might win a free meal again. The animals rig the count; then it's the boy's turn to feed his grandmother. By the end, the animals' generosity has become a tradition that lures customers, who hope to be number 100. This is a Taiwanese import, but both text and art have a universal spirit and message. The tall format accommodates the unusual perspectives of the delightful artwork. Brushed and burnished, the pictures offer much to see (including the jobs the boy and his grandmother eventually take at the restaurant) and extend the sensitive story. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Purple Bear Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1933327030
• ISBN 13: 9781933327037
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Ferri Giuliano