As business partners, Frank and Ernest accept the challenge of managing a diner while the owner is gone. Because the bear and elephant duo use diner language, the human customers do not seem to notice the odd couple serving them. The story's invented diner lingo is continued on the endpapers encouraging readers to create other dialogue after the book ends: "Paint a bow-wow red . . . and I need a nervous pudding" = a hot dog with ketchup and a serving of jello! (Ages 6-10)