New York, Philomel, 1st, 1997, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket. Unpaginated. Color illustrations by author. As she has so many times before, Polacco has drawn on her inspiration for an appealing picture book from a family story; this time, it's what might have happened at her bearded husband Enzo's Italian garden restaurant. The rhyming text begins: "This is the bee that stopped on a tree in Enzo's splendid gardens." A riotous chain of events is set into motion, including broken dishes, smashed deserts, and a cat tangled in spaghetti--all in Enzo's fancy outdoor eatery. The verse can be a bit forced, but it is always energetic. As usual, Polacco's distinctive artwork is wonderful. Her realistic portraits of a lively cast of characters are richly colored, expressively individualized, and humorously captured.