At this very moment I am eating devouring a bowlful of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie. There’s nothing like rich and creamy chocolate ice cream lovingly loaded with chewy brownie chunks to send you over the top. So decadent, maybe even a little sinful. Marry me, please.

I still remember when Cherry Garcia (another of my favorites) first came on the market in 1987. Not only was it darn good ice cream, it was named after a cool musician. Since then, I’ve enjoyed many a pint, and continue to be impressed by Ben & Jerry’s wacky innovative flavors, progressive core values and ongoing social activism. How wonderful that America’s most popular ice cream company is thoroughly committed to making the world a better place!

Since I didn’t know much about how Ben & Jerry’s actually got started, I was hungry to read The Sweetest Scoop: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution by Lisa Robinson and Stacy Innerst (Abrams BFYR, 2022). This fun and inspiring story of teamwork, determination, and experimentation is a delicious testament to living the American Dream and makes me want to taste every single Ben & Jerry’s flavor. 🙂

It all began in 1963 when Ben Cohen met Jerry Greenfield in a Merrick, Long Island junior high school. Though Ben liked art and Jerry was into science, they enjoyed hanging out, found lots to do together, and shared a big love of eating — especially ice cream. One summer Ben even drove an ice cream truck while Jerry helped scoop the ice cream.

After high school they attended different colleges. Ben dropped out after sophomore year to become a potter, while Jerry went on to graduate, only to be rejected by all the medical schools he applied to. Down but certainly not out, they touched bases again in NYC and decided to go into business together. No question it would involve food.

They scrapped their initial idea of making and delivering bagels after learning bagel-making equipment was too expensive. Luckily, making ice cream was cheaper. Burlington, Vermont seemed like a good location since it was a college town without any ice cream shops, and everyone knows students love ice cream. 🙂

They then rented and renovated an old gas station. Scientist Jerry experimented with making the ice cream base, while artist Ben came up with clever combos of chocolate, caramel and cookies. After some serious taste testing, they finally opened their homemade ice cream shop on May 5, 1978.

It was a big success, but a rocky road lay ahead. How to cut up a lot of toffee bars for their Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch? How to make their flavors stand out with all the fierce competition? What about those flavors that flopped? And what do you do when a large corporation like Pillsbury tries to block sales of your products in stores?

Ben and Jerry successfully met all these challenges, and by 1987, their ice cream could be found in stores all over the United States.

Having come of age during the 60s, a time of great turmoil and change, they held many causes dear (civil rights, anti-war). Their business practices reflected a dedication to changing the world, from the way they treated their employees to utilizing planet friendly production and distribution methods (waste reduction, solar panels for electricity).

But they wanted to do even more. They donated profits to worthy causes by using playful ice cream flavors to help spread the word. “Save our Swirled to promote awareness of climate change; Imagine Whirled Peace to demand an end to war; I Dough, I Dough to support same-sex marriage; and Empower Mint to call attention to the unfairness of the growing gap between rich and poor.”

They also formed the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation (to support social and environmental justice around the country), which is still going strong after twenty years.

Stacy Innerst’s fluid watercolor illustrations rendered in psychedelic tie-dye colors beautifully depict all the delicious details of Ben and Jerry’s success story from boyhood bikes and pizzas to hardworking entrepreneurs to generous philanthropists. He’s truly captured the spirit of the 60s with its social activism and free-flowing vibe. The groovy bespectacled pair (Ben in bucket hat) are likable and appealing, and kids will no doubt root for them as they build a sweet empire that’s about so much more than just ice cream.

Readers will also love following Ben & Jerry’s trademark Holsteins, who, with their cheeky and endearing expressions, provide comic relief via speech bubbles in many of the spreads. “How do you make a milkshake? Give a cow a pogo stick!” Where do you learn how to make ice cream? In sundae school!” These hilarious asides will keep kids laughing throughout.

Finally, something must be said for Innerst’s ability to make the ice cream in the book look totally scrumptious in all its colorful, swirly, chunky, melty iterations. Needless to say, there are many smiley people licking their lips with expressions of pure bliss on their faces. Can’t blame them one bit!

So the next time you enjoy some Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chunky Monkey, Phish Food or Half Baked, remember the two friends who followed their dream, persisted despite many obstacles, and found creative ways to give back to their community.

Love The Sweetest Scoop with its interesting, entertaining, and informative text and cheery lick-the-pages art. Knowing the backstory of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream makes it even more tempting, knowing that every spoonful helps a good cause.

Fun Fact not mentioned in the book: Ever wonder why Ben & Jerry’s ice creams are packed with so many good-sized bits and chunks? They help compensate for Ben’s anosmia (inability to detect smells), thereby satisfying his need for texture in food.

Well, all my Chocolate Fudge Brownie is gone. Maybe I’ll go for Butter Pecan or Marshmallow Sky next. Love that there are non dairy flavors and frozen yogurt too. Decisions, decisions.

What’s your favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor?

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THE SWEETEST SCOOP: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Revolution
written by Lisa Robinson
illustrated by Stacy Innerst
published by Abrams BFYR, May 2022
Nonfiction Picture Book for ages 4-8, 40 pp.
*Includes Author’s Note, Timeline and Bibliography

♥️ Enjoy this tour of the St. Alban’s plant:

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*Interior spreads text copyright © 2022 Lisa Robinson, illustrations © 2022 Stacy Innerst, published by Abrams BFYR. All rights reserved.

**Copyright © 2023 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.