ONCE UPON A PICNIC

In this sequel to Once Upon a Time (1993), the bored little boy is on a picnic, during which he encounters many of the same fairy-tale characters (three bears, the bumbling witch, the giant, Red Riding Hood, and the wolf) he met the first time around. The first work, however, relied less on physical slapstick than does this one, in which the father bear brains himself with a baseball bat and requires immediate first aid. He's not the only one involved in a mishap: Red Riding Hood clobbers the wolf; the hapless witch blows herself up with a spell gone awry and turns into a frog. Among the gentler outcomes: The giant's discarded shoe makes a new home for the old woman with all the children; the three billygoats outsmart the troll; and the gingerbread boy gets away. Although this book is not as much fun as the original, the formula still affords droll, amusing moments for fans. (Picture book. 4-7)