THE BAGEL WHO WANTED EVERYTHING

A plain bagel strives to become something more.

Every bagel has one thing—and only one—that makes it special. But one plain bagel wonders why, in a world with so many toppings, everyone is limited to one. Despite its family’s misgivings, the bagel sets out to achieve a loftier goal: “I want to be EVERYTHING!” Our hero tries life as a hat, a lamp, and a washing machine. It rolls around in flowers and snow, spends time in the sea, and “[plucks] pillowy puff from the clouds.” Finally, encrusted with weird and wacky detritus, the bagel proudly returns. But it looks so ridiculous that everybody rolls around in laughter, including the bagel itself. At last, the protagonist accepts that it’s enough just the way it is. But the others point out that the plain bagel is now coated in a mix of all their toppings, shaken loose by the laughter. The plain bagel has, of course, become an everything bagel. All the bagels realize that they, too, can be anything they want. The story ends with some words of wisdom for readers: “A bagel can be EVERYTHING! And so can you!” Silberberg’s zany, instantly recognizable cartooning style, set against brightly colored backgrounds and peppered with quirky dialogue, keeps the message light and fun.

With charm and a lesson of self-empowerment, this bagel book has lox to recommend it.