Cat, Squirrel, and Duck, from Cooper’s Greenaway award-winning Pump kin Soup (1999), are back and busy preparing their favorite pumpkin soup when they discover they are unfortunately out of salt. Duck, who has a habit of wandering off, insists on accompanying Cat and Squirrel on their shop ping trip to the city. He promises to “hold on tight” and not get lost. But, when he spies a pepper shop and imagines peppered pumpkin soup, he forgets his friends. There follows a great flurry of searching by police dogs and fire dogs. All ends well: the trio is reunited and the soup is delicious. Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, IRA-CBC Children’s Choices. mjw

Originally published by Random House/ Doubleday Great Britain, in 2004.