Two for Me, One for You

Two hungry friends find themselves at loggerheads in this fablelike story about fairness. When Bear finds three forest mushrooms, Weasel cooks them up (“with a little parsley”) in a well-equipped forest home. But when Bear dishes up, she calls dibs on the third mushroom: “That’s fair. I’m big, so I need to eat a lot,” Bear says. “I’m small, and I still have to grow,” Weasel counters. As both friends make their cases (“I found the mushrooms”; “I... simmered them in the heavy pan. With parsley!”), reasonable debate soon escalates into full-blown argument. Just when it seems they’re at an impasse, a sly passerby swipes the extra portion, uniting the two against a shared enemy: “The cheek of it,” they holler, “totally unfair!” In colored pencil and wash, Mühle crafts homey forest scenes that are one of the book’s delights: tree branches serve as hooks, the kitchen bursts with pleasing jars, and Weasel sits in what appears to be a Stokke Tripp Trapp chair. A final spread features Weasel pulling out a bowl with three strawberries, leaving the reader to guess whether the friends will find new ways to argue over dessert. Sharing is well-trodden territory, but Mühle’s take is full of woodsy charm. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)