Mischievous and much-loved McDuff, the West Highland white terrier, returns for a seventh adventure in this successful series from old pros (and Westie owners) Wells and Jeffers (McDuff Goes to School, 2001, etc.). Anyone who has ever packed up a baby and related paraphernalia for a day-long outing will smile at the piles of equipment for this Fourth of July beach picnic, including a well-stocked picnic basket, an inflatable Float-a-Boat, Slug-a-Bug insect repellent, and the delightfully named Handy Dandy Foldaway Baby Emergency Travel Kit. When aggressive ants carry away the family picnic, McDuff saves the day by befriending a lonely older man, Mr. DiMaggio, who gracefully shares his elaborate picnic with McDuff’s family: parents Fred and Lucy and their unnamed baby girl. (Though children won’t care, adults may wonder why this ’30s-era baby girl is dressed for a family outing in overalls rather than a dress, and why her doting mother forgot the baby’s bonnet.) The cozy, old-fashioned story is simple enough to be understood by younger preschoolers, with enough humor from McDuff’s antics to entertain all the children in the family and their parents, too. Jeffers provides her usual polished, supportive illustrations that capture McDuff’s sly attitude down to the last whisker. Readers will relish her final double-page spread of the little car chugging homeward against a midnight-blue sky filled with flamboyant fireworks. This story could serve as preparation for Fourth of July fireworks celebrations or as a summertime treat to tuck into an old-fashioned wicker picnic basket. (Picture book. 2-5)
