Pignic

PreS-Gr 1—A family of jovial pigs take advantage of the sunny weather by hosting a picnic. With a basket of food, they trundle from their cottage to the meadow, where several minor disasters strike. One pig gets stuck while climbing a tree, but a friendly tortoise assists. Phelan delightfully subverts expectations: a menacing wolf huffs and puffs…and helps the pigs' kite become airborne. And rain doesn't end the pals' wonderful day; it just gives them another fun activity: wallowing in the mud. The buoyant text is spare, with no more than a sentence per page, and the straightforward story is perfect for short attention spans. Soft, fuzzy illustrations depict cherubic, rosy-cheeked pigs having a wonderful time. Though the story is as simple as can be, Phelan's attention to background details is inspired and the composition and pacing are superb.