Pipkin of Pepper — Helen Cooper

A companion to the best-selling Pumpkin Soup
Duck, Cat, and Squirrel, the three animal friends from Pumpkin Soup, are out of salt, a key ingredient of their special recipe. Duck insists upon coming along with Cat and Squirrel on the shopping trip to the city. It's his first visit, and he's a little scared, but he forgets everything when he spots a pepper store. What if they bought a pipkin of pepper to add to the soup? When he turns around to tell Cat and Squirrel about his great idea, he realizes they're gone!
This perfect book about getting lost, with the sage reminder to stay put if you do, is illustrated with warm, cleverly detailed paintings.
A Pipkin of Pepper is a 2006 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.