The Sweetest Scoop, a fun picture book on ice cream, ethics and persistence

The other day I heard on the radio that Touch of Grey was released on this date in 1987. They then went on to chat about Jerry Garcia and I immediately regretted not seeing them on tour with my friend in 1988. However, now I’m all about reading, children’s literature, and introducing kids to great books, which bring us to The Sweetest Scoop, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution. This is a picture book that examines the rise of the duo in the world of frozen treats and corporate responsibility. Don’t read too much into that last series of words because the book is entertaining, has a great narrative, and will make readers smile, in addition to giving them something to learn.

The Sweetest Scoop takes a really smart look at how the two friends grew up, got educated, experimented with different business ideas, and eventually hit on the one that really stuck. They did this while echoing what Ric Flair espoused many years ago, they walked the walk and they talked the talk. Ben and Jerry knew that they wanted to own their own business but also wanted to run it in such a way that was responsible to those that followed after them.

This included creating packaging that did not bleach the paper that was needed to sell the ice cream. They also paid their employees much better than their competitors. Ben & Jerry also created ice cream flavors that had a whimsical name, like Imagine Whirled Peace, that gave people ideas that they might not have thought about before.

If you’ve eaten Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream then you might know some of these stories. But did you know that when they were first starting out, Pillsbury threatened retailers that they’d remove their products if they sold Ben & Jerry’s stuff? This led to a very clever guerilla marketing campaign from their friends that had “What’s the Doughboy Afraid of?” postered around town on any vehicle that moved. This led to thousands of people calling the Federal Trade Commission and Pillsbury backing down, which allowed Ben & Jerry to be sold across the country in 1987.

As an illustrated book, The Sweetest Scoop is surprisingly engaging for mid-elementary school readers because of the natural way in which the story builds. There’s an introduction, a problem, followed by a climax and an ending. Along the way, there are lots of ice cream jokes, a couple of life to ice cream metaphors, and many soft, almost trippy illustrations. The illustrations are by Stacy Innerst and their water-colored appearance adds to the easy-going vibe of the text by Lisa Robinson. The art is vague and approachable for audiences of all ages, and the text is written in a way that young readers can dive in on their own, or have it read to them if they’re younger.

Cherry Garcia, the flavor that was named after Jerry Garcia, remains the top-selling flavor from Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. The Sweetest Scoop is a picture book that’s just short enough to be read to those squirrely kids who need a great book on the way to bed. It’s also smart enough for them to digest on their own for a non-fiction story about business, responsibility, and walking the walk.

The Sweetest Scoop, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution is by Lisa Robinson with illustrations by Stacy Innerst and available on Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams Books.

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