Mr. Wolf, who enjoyed flapjacks with a side order of Chicken Little in Mr. Wolf's Pancakes, is an easygoing chef with a take-no-prisoners approach to etiquette. In another archly hilarious gathering of nursery characters, he now prepares a birthday feast for Baby Bear, with help from Grandma. When the Three Bears arrive, "someone barged in front of them! It was Goldilocks!" A smirking girl stands in the doorway with eyes narrowed and arms akimbo. "She said she was invited, too," Daddy Bear protests, fiddling unhappily with his tie. The hosts frown uncomfortably while the blonde bully stuffs her face with Huff Puff Cakes and Cheesy Snipsnaps (recipes are provided, along with a plug for a Mr. Wolf Web site). To distract Baby Bear, who weeps in despair, Grandma calls for a game of hide-and-seek, "but no hiding in the kitchen, please." Afterward, Goldilocks fails to reappear. "Never mind," says Grandma, carrying in a huge, steaming hot pie, crimped in a familiar curly design. "She's gone now, and I've made us a special treat to celebrate." With her consistently wry humor, Fearnley does not reveal the mystery filling of the "golden" dessert in either text or her innocent-looking illustrations. Readers will relish the satisfying, wicked twist; party-crashers, beware. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)
