THE SIMPLES LOVE A PICNIC

Silly humor abounds as a family tries to enjoy a picnic in the park.

When Dad proposes a picnic, Mom must explain it to the children: “A picnic is when you pack food in a basket, spread out a blanket, and eat on the ground.” Dad, brother Ben and sister Lulu help with the preparations. Lulu doesn’t quite get it, packing ice cream in the hamper and the cat in her backpack. They set out with their dog on a leash only to be beset by squirrels, ants, birds and Frisbees; the melted ice cream just compounds all their problems. It is all too much until Ben remembers Mom’s definition and comes up with the perfect solution: Picnics require a basket of food and a blanket to sit on, but the park is not compulsory. Phillipps’ short declarative sentences with repeating verbs will appeal to emerging readers, and their instant feelings of superiority to the silly family will reinforce their senses of accomplishment. Her cut-paper–collage artwork is childlike and colorful; the Simples have body shapes that will be familiar to children who use scissors to create paper people. Laughter, surprise and chagrin are all expressed through black dots for eyes and lines for mouths. Large fonts and exclamation points add to the little ongoing drama.

A funny family story packed with mayhem and good spirits.