Picnic [Library Binding]

Emily Arnold McCully (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

The sky is bright. The morning is green. What a glorious day for a picnic!

So it is that a large and jubilant mouse family pile into their old red truck and go bouncing down a shady country road to the lake. Out comes the big picnic hamper. Out comes the bat and ball and Grandpa's banjo. Out leap nine little mouse children, running through the field flowers to water's edge.

But wait a minute! Are there really nine? Somebody seems to be missing. And nobody will be happy until she is found.

Emily Arnold McCully's lush summer-drenched watercolors tell a story that needs no words, filling the pages with the giddy joys of a large family picnic and the pluckiness of one small mouse who left it behind.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

PreS-K. In this slightly expanded version of a 1984 book, with enlarged illustrations, a merry, chaotic family of mice set out for a picnic in their red pickup. As they bounce along the bumpy dirt road, Little Bitty falls off the back of the truck. Accompanied only by a pink stuffed animal, Bitty cries a little, forages a little, and waits a little. Meanwhile, the parents discover that Bitty is missing, and all the mice search the picnic site frantically, pile into the truck, and then head back down the road, where they find her waiting. Every child who has felt lost, even for a moment, will savor the happy reunion. Page layout varies from broad, double-page paintings of a single scene to several smaller pictures on a white page. Defined by McCully's precise, energetic line drawings and brightened with washes in warm, rich colors, the ink-and-watercolor artwork will appeal to children and adults alike. With a short text and sun-dappled illustrations, this book captures the feeling of the best summer days: so joyful, so splendid that even the sad tale of a little lost mouse is sure to end happily. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Distinguished author and illustrator Emily Arnold McCully has won many of children's books highest honors, including the Christopher Medal and the National Book Award, as well as the Caldecott Medal, which she received in 1993 for Mirette on the High Wire.

She is also the creator of the popular I Can Rad Books about Pip and her Grandmas Sal and Nan: The Grandma Mix-Up, Grandmas at the Lake, Grandmas at Bat, and Grandmas Trick-Or-Treat.

Ms. McCully divides her time between New York City and Chatham, New York.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (March 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060241004
• ISBN-13: 978-0060241001
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,687,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Emily Arnold McCully was born left handed in Illinois and was transplanted to Long Island, where she grew up. A tree climber, bike rider, fort builder and ball player, she also devoted hours every day to reading and drawing. She majored in art history at college and acted and wrote for the theater. She lived in Europe for a year researching her Master's thesis, also in art history. Back in New York, she took to the streets with a portfolio of sample illustrations. Early assignments were for book jackets, magazine stories and pharmaceutical ads. A poster displayed in subway cars caught the attention of a children's book editor and a new career was launched. After illustrating other peoples' texts for several years and publishing two adult novels (A Craving and life Drawing) McCully began writing her own picture books.
She has been awarded the Caldecott Medal, Christopher Award, Jane Addams Award, O'Henry Award and many others.
She has two sons and lives in New York and Columbia County, N.Y., where she maintains a large garden.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not the original wordless book!, July 26, 2005

By 

BookMom (Chappaqua, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Picnic (Hardcover)

The original edition of this book was wordless, allowing a child and grownup to explore and discuss all the little details together. While it's nice that the author and publisher decided to publish this book in a slightly larger format, so that it was available for a new audience (and libraries could replace their well-loved copies), the addition of text makes the experience of the story so much more limited. They should at least label it clearly, and make both versions available.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Wordless Picture Book, March 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Picnic (Library Binding)

This book is a good book to use to encourage children to make up their own story using the illustrations. The book has very simple illustrations that will not confuse the child. This book is fun for children because the characters are mice that go on a picnic. Another good wordless picture book is First Snow written by the same author. It also has some great illustrations that are easy for children to understand to create their own story.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Picnic" - A nice book for young children, July 14, 2005

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Picnic (Hardcover)

"Energetic line drawings" and "lush watercolors"? Are we talking about the same book?

This is a nice book, but I wouldn't say that either of the above descriptions accurately portray the artwork of Ms. McCully in "Picnic". But you can come to your own conclusions based on the front cover and the 'look inside'.

Also, I would disagree with the suggested age range. My daughter (5) is lukewarm about the story where as my son (just turned 3) has asked me to read it over and over.

Three to Four Stars. Nice pictures. Very little text (text is in cursive so beginning readers won't be able to read it easily). A cute book for the 5 and under set, though nothing spectacular.