Picnic by John Burningham (review)

Who knew having a picnic could be such a challenge? When Boy, Girl, Sheep, Pig, and Duck attempt an al fresco meal, they first encounter a bull and must hide out in the woods until the bull leaves. Then they chase down Sheep’s blown-away hat and search for Pig’s missing soccer ball and Duck’s lost scarf. Afterwards, the picnic proceeds, until it’s time to go home to Boy’s and Girl’s house for an impromptu sleepover. The simplicity of the short, streamlined text and the large, clear illustrations make it easy to successfully share this with little ones. Direct addresses to the reader increase the interactivity: when the kids and animals hide from the bull, for example, the text asks, “Can you find Boy, Girl, Pig, Sheep, and Duck?” Even toddlers will be able to respond with a confident “Yes!” because all the characters are mostly visible with only a small portion of each hidden behind the trees. The tale ends with the unseen narrator asking viewers to identify which character is in each bed, and then prompting, “Shall we see if we can find your bed?” Burning-ham’s trademark lively and unaffected painting style continues here, with squiggly outlines, spots of bright color, and slightly mottled backgrounds adding vigor to the clean, open compositions; the nattily attired pig is particularly winning. This isn’t at the classic level of Burningham’s Mr. Gumpy’s Outing (BCCB 1/72) and others, but it’s still cheerful and entertaining, and parents will appreciate the sly segue into bedtime. Share this at a picnic-themed story hour or use it to wind down after a summer day spent outdoors.