What’s Cooking, Moo Moo?

Moo Moo and Mr. Quackers—whose deep, U-shaped mouths and slightly askew, pinprick eyes make them look a bit like Picasso creations—return for a second outing. Moo Moo surprises Mr. Quackers by buying a restaurant using a piggy bank full of money that he discovers in their closet (“That was my life savings!” Mr. Quackers laments). Miller alternates between two-panel spreads and full-page scenes as Moo Moo prepares a disastrous multi-course meal that Mr. Quackers dutifully serves to poker-faced patrons of “Moo Moo & Mr. Quackers’s Chow House.” When the cuisine fails to live up to expectations (as horrified diners realize that they are eating worms), it seems their foray into the restaurant business is a bust. Miller’s humor—which depends upon the woefully inept friends’ ingenuous approach to their endeavor—will have readers eager for Moo Moo’s next great idea. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)