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Summary
Summary
It was a perfect day for a picnic. Hen picked the berries, Goose picked the apples, and Duck picked the pears. Then they set out for the picnic. But young viewers will quickly discover that Hen, Goose, and Duck are not the only ones who like berries, apples, and pears! And as the picnic basket gets lighter and lighter, they will be laughing harder and harder.
Since the publication of Rosie's Walk in 1968, Pat Hutchins's name has been a household word wherever there are young lookers and listeners.
Author Notes
Pat Hutchins was born Patricia Goundry on June 18, 1942 in Yorkshire, England. In 1958 at the age sixteen, she won a scholarship to attend the Darlington School of Art, where she studied for three years. Then she attended the Leeds College of Art, where studied illustration.
After graduating in 1962, she moved to London. She worked as a junior art director at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. She met her husband there and after they were married, her husband was transferred by the advertising company to head up its New York office.
While in New York, she met the editor-in-chief of the children's department at Macmillan, who encouraged her to write and illustrate her own story. Her first book, Rosie's Walk, was published in 1968 and was a 1968 ALA Notable Book. She wrote more than 40 books for young readers including Titch, Don't Forget the Bacon!, 1 Hunter, Good-Night, Owl!, and The Doorbell Rang. In 1974, The Wind Blew won the Kate Greenaway Medal. She died on November 7, 2017 at the age of 75.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-In her trademark, deceptively simple style, Hutchins has created yet another winning tale full of child appeal. Hen, Duck, and Goose decide to take advantage of the lovely weather and go for a picnic. Lurking at the edge of the field through which the trio sets out is a gray mouse. When Hen sets the basket down in the spot she favors, the mouse hops in. Duck objects to Hen's selection of a site and the group moves forward with the hungry mouse as hidden cargo in the basket. When Duck picks the next picnic area, out hops the mouse, but in hops a rascally squirrel. This scenario is repeated again with the squirrel being replaced by a rapacious rabbit. The trio's circular route brings them home again and they're mystified by their empty basket. After replenishing their supplies, the clueless threesome sallies forth once more with the wily rodents in tow and their second picnic in peril. The genius of the story is that the visual narrative depicts the thieving rodents' antics while the actual text gives not a clue as to what is happening to the contents of the basket. Children will giggle and enjoy a sense of superiority by knowing what the bumbling fowls do not. Bold, simply rendered illustrations colored by straightforward primary shades tell the story with wonderful clarity. A first-rate purchase.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Hutchins's (Changes, Changes) high-spirited caper follows Hen, Duck and Goose on a quest to find just the right spot for a picnic. After filling a basket with berries ("because Hen liked berries best"), apples ("because Goose liked apples best") and pears ("because Duck liked pears best"), the trio sets off, taking turns carrying the basket. What the three don't notice and what youngsters will delight in observing is that each time the feathered friends pause to switch, a critter climbs in and helps itself to the picnic fare. Concluding that the food has fallen out, the pals simply refill the basket; the audience will revel in knowing that the still-hungry culprits lurk nearby. Kitchen-bright illustrations outlined with a sure black line show the traveling, industrious trio, and they make hilarious unwitting straight men. With an understated humor infusing both narrative and pictures, Hutchins successfully pulls off the child-pleasing contrivance of letting readers in on the secret. Beginning readers especially will appreciate the brevity and ample repetition of the text. Ages 3-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In this sweet, simple tale, birdbrains Hen, Duck, and Goose intend to enjoy a picnic but are so busy searching for the perfect spot that they donÆt notice the hungry animals taking up residence in their fruit-filled picnic basket. Preschoolers will love staying one step ahead of the protagonists, and the garden-hued illustrations are a fitting counterpoint to the anarchic scenario. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In Hutchins's (Ten Red Apples, 2000, etc.) latest, Hen, Duck, and Goose are going on a picnic. Hen brings berries; Goose packs apples; and Duck tucks pears into the teeming basket. Together, they set out to find the perfect place to dine. Yet every time they think they've found it, one of them finds a reason to move on. But not before they set down that basket. And each moment of indecision presents an opportunity for a mouse, a squirrel, and a rabbit to make off with the bounty. Before they know it, the hapless trio winds their way home without ever settling down to eat. When they set off in search of another spot, they realize how light the basket is. " [The food] must have fallen out,' " they all agree. And so the cycle begins again. But this time, there's a twist: Hen, Duck, and Goose gather more food; they actually agree on a place to picnic; and three thieves-who once worked separately-have now teamed up. Lined in black, Hutchins's full-color marker illustrations stand out against the crisp white background. They are integral to the story, letting kids in on the action by introducing the thieving creatures whom Hutchins never mentions in the text. Hutchins's deceptively simple tale simply delights. (Picture book. 3-7)
Booklist Review
Ages 3-6. Hen, Duck, and Goose gather their favorite fruits and set off on a sunny day to have a picnic. Like three feathered Goldilockses, they have trouble settling on a spot: one place is too hot, another too windy, and so on. But mysteriously, their basket lightens as they walk. The birds never learn what's happened to their lunch, but readers are in on the joke from the beginning; it's all explained in the appealingly bright, clean-lined drawings. The repetitive text builds suspense at just the right place to keep children giggling as they wait for the picnickers to discover the surprise. The visual detail is crucial to the story, so this will work best for small groups of children who can crowd up close. Another winning effort from a veteran author. --Gillian Engberg