Inspired by a love of ice cream and guided by a strong sense of social justice, two friends established a shop that became a sensation. Both born in 1951, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were childhood friends whose first joint foray into the business of ice cream was a summer gig on an ice cream truck. Years later, when their initial career plans were foiled, they rented an abandoned gas station with big dreams in mind. Starting from the ground up, they renovated the shop, concocted an ice cream recipe, and experimented with sweet add-ins like candy and cookies. Their shop was an immediate success when it opened in 1978, and Ben and Jerry were creative and persistent business owners as they worked through obstacles and brainstormed creative flavors that would help their ice cream rise to the top. They got the public involved, too, first by inviting flavor suggestions (the famous “Cherry Garcia,” for instance) and then by soliciting support when Pillsbury blocked Ben & Jerry’s from stores by threatening to pull their own products. Most impressively, Ben and Jerry were guided by a strong sense of right and wrong; they paid employees fairly, “greened” their products and factory, and used their products to advocate for environmental and social-justice causes. Loose, colorful ink-and-watercolor illustrations complement a lively, conversational narrative with no shortage of ice cream jokes.    (Ages 5-9)