Pizza

by Frank Asch

Baby Bear gets his first taste of what may be the only food he’ll ever eat again in this delectable picture book from celebrated and award-winning author and illustrator Frank Asch.

Baby Bear is so excited. He’s going to eat pizza for the very first time! One taste, and it’s love at first bite. Now Baby Bear sees pizza wherever he looks, and he even dreams about it at night. He just can’t get enough of this yummy treat. Will he ever eat anything else again?

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens, Animals, Juvenile, Storytime, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2015

About the author

Frank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.

Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.

Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.

He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you remember the first time you had pizza? This book reminds us that there is a first time we try our favorite food...after the week I had I needed to be reminded that it is little things like this that still are magic - we all need a little more of it right now!

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Yes! This book was great! Mostly probably because it’s about pizza! And who doesn’t love pizza? Baby Bear has never tried pizza but after he does, pizza is his whole world, and if that isn’t the most accurate reaction ever than I don’t know what is.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious. And I'm pretty sure my son is baby bear.

[Calli Leventis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is how we all feel about pizza.

[Joseph Ryan-Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story's about baby bear 🐻 having
Pizza🍕 for the first time and now wants Pizza 🍕 for breakfast. I like this story because it's very funny. My favorite part is when baby bear says to his parents are silly when they were guessing what baby bear wanted for breakfast.

Yes I would recommend this story.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Frank Asch and I love Baby Bear. Oh, and I really love pizza! It's a cutesy story about Baby Bear trying pizza for the first time and becoming so infatuated that even the moon looks like a pizza, and he dreams about it too. Aliens make an appearance and it has the colorful, bright illustrations Asch is known for. I really liked it and so did my storytime kids!

[Dewey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pizza is delicious. Baby Bear gets it.

This book is really cute, I love the part where everything round looks like pizza to him. I would definitely read this for a pizza or food-themed storytime.

[Jacoba · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a dumb book. Not offensive. Just dumb. I am all for trying new things, and pizza IS amazing, but I was not impressed.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yahoo ~ a new Frank Asch book! A delightful story about Baby Bear's first trip to a pizza parlor and his first experience eating pizza!

[Caffers · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my kids were little, POPCORN by Frank Asch was one of their favorite books. I picked up this book from the library bookstore, knowing it would be good. And it is.
Nice story about the family's visit to the new Pizza Parlor in town and baby bears first time eating pizza!
The illustrations are lovely. I love baby bear's paper placemat drawing. Also the twirling eyes pic where baby bear doesn't like the pizza, he really LOVES the pizza! (My daughter also said that about her favorite foods)
And pizza for breakfast is my favorite too, so I can totally relate to that.
The only thing I would have liked better, is if there was pepperoni and mushrooms on their pizza!
The story brings back good memories of reading Popcorn to my kids. This is another goodie.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, it's a picture book love story.

"Pizza" is the name of Baby Bear's new beloved.

My favorite part of this book was the picture that this youngster drew on his placemat at the restaurant, drawing quite a fancy picture... while the family waited for the pizza order to arrive.

Also, my runner-up fave is the crazed, eye-swirling image of Baby Bear, tasting his first slice of pizza. It was love at first bite. Or as described by author Frank Asch:

"He had never tasted anything so yummy."

FIVE STARS to this book with the gentle humor and an easy-to-follow tale on a very relatable topic. Excellence is between these covers, with words and illustrations by Frank Asch.

[Ashley Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book basically describes the beginnings of my love affair with pizza. Men may come and go, but pizza is forever.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just an average picture book.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a great illustration of Baby Bear discovering that he LOVES pizza--with his eyes whirling around in green spirals with stars.

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple and straightforward.

[mairead! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's just say, this is the first thing A asks me for in the morning. After I put her down for her nap yesterday, I heard her yelling to her crib friends, "PIZZOT!!!!!"

[Karla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kids did not like it

Too long

Illustrations sophomoric

not recommended

[Goshen PL Childrens]

Read at Storytime: October 2, 2019
Theme: Pizza Stories

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Random little book. We mostly had fun laughing at the bear’s zombie eyes after it ate the pizza. Haha

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is pretty randomly specific. It’s fine, but nothing too great.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Baby Bear's first pizza won't be his last for sure!
This could be used to help youngsters preparing for their first restaurant experience.
Standard Asch simple illustrations with solid colors. I like that the author had Baby Bear find other round objects on his way home.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but how does the dad not know that his own son has never eaten pizza? Seems like a stretch.

[Kelly]

Meh.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I want some pizza!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Baby Bear, Dreaming of Pizza? Oh, my! I can relate! PIZZA!

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not bad, could have been better! Too much going on within the pages again. Stick with enjoying pizza for the first time!

[Bethe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bookaday #3. It's not a surprise after baby bear tries pizza that he would want it for breakfast the next morning.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

What never had pizza??? A fun book to share about this favorite American food, even if you are a bear.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is cute, but, much like pizza, it is full of all kinds of stuff and yet not intellectually (or nutritionally) satisfying.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby Bear's face when he first tastes pizza is amazing. I was reminded of Gino's East and eating at other pizza parlors as a child.