Inspired by a love of ice cream and guided by a strong sense of social justice, two friends established a shop that became a sensation. Both born in 1951, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were childhood friends whose first joint foray into the business of ice cream was a summer gig on an ice cream truck. Years later, when their initial career plans were foiled, they rented an abandoned gas station with big dreams in mind. Starting from the ground up, they renovated the shop, concocted an ice cream recipe, and experimented with sweet add-ins like candy and cookies. Their shop was an immediate success when it opened in 1978, and Ben and Jerry were creative and persistent business owners as they worked through obstacles and brainstormed creative flavors that would help their ice cream rise to the top. They got the public involved, too, first by inviting flavor suggestions (the famous “Cherry Garcia,” for instance) and then by soliciting support when Pillsbury blocked Ben & Jerry’s from stores by threatening to pull their own products. Most impressively, Ben and Jerry were guided by a strong sense of right and wrong; they paid employees fairly, “greened” their products and factory, and used their products to advocate for environmental and social-justice causes. Loose, colorful ink-and-watercolor illustrations complement a lively, conversational narrative with no shortage of ice cream jokes.    (Ages 5-9)

The Sweetest Scoop is a picture book biography of the entrepreneurial activist duo behind Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and their rocky road to success, from author Lisa Robinson and award-winning illustrator Stacy Innerst.

Chunky Monkey. Cherry Garcia. Truffle Kerfuffle.

Legendary ice cream makers Ben & Jerry are behind some of the wackiest, tastiest flavors we know and love. It all began when two groovy guys, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, met when they were 12 years old. Ben liked art, Jerry liked science, and they both loved food . . . especially ice cream!

They started a business together, and with no idea how to actually make ice cream, they made it happen with teamwork, determination, and an appetite for fun and experimentation. When the doors of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream shop finally opened, crowds flocked. But the pair would still have a rocky road ahead—and ambitious activist goals to fulfill.

Chock-full of facts and humor, this entertaining biography about two hardworking partners living their Americone Dream gives readers plenty to chew on. Through their inventiveness, passion, and activism, Ben & Jerry dreamed of making the world a better, more delicious place—one scoop at a time.

“The Sweetest Scoop is a visual treat!” —Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield, Co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s