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Summary
Summary
When Fred and Lucy's delectable picnic is devoured by an army of creepy crawly critters, McDuff sets out to find some lunch for his family. With his nose to the ground, the determined Westie bumps into Mr. DiMaggio, who just happens to have more food than he knows what to do with! When a starving Fred and Lucy are invited to share Mr. DiMaggio's picnic, new friendships blossom, appetites are satisfied, and McDuff is hailed hero of the day!
Author Notes
Rosemary Wells was born in New York City on January 29, 1943. She studied at the Museum School in Boston. Without her degree, she left school at the age of 19 to get married. She began her career in publishing, working as an art editor and designer first at Allyn and Bacon and later at Macmillan Publishing.
She is an author and illustrator of over 60 books for children and young adults. Her first book was an illustrated edition of Gilbert and Sullivan's I Have a Song to Sing-O. Her other works include Martha's Birthday, The Fog Comes on Little Pig Feet, Unfortunately Harriet, Mary on Horseback, and Timothy Goes to School. She also created the characters of Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko, which are featured in some of her books. She has won numerous awards including a Children's Book Council Award for Noisy Nora in 1974, the Edgar Allan Poe award for two young adult books, Through the Looking Glass and When No One Was Looking, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Shy Charles.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The sweet, furry pup is back again in a slightly longer tale. Fred, Lucy, their baby, and McDuff are going on a Fourth of July outing and the car is full-to-overflowing with baby gear and picnic paraphernalia. After stopping twice, once to walk and water the dog and again to feed the child, they finally reach Lake Ocarina. McDuff is put in charge of guarding the picnic basket while Lucy and Fred unload the car. When ants carry off their provisions, the West Highland terrier goes in search of food and discovers Mr. DiMaggio's meatballs. The older gentleman shares his picnic with the young family so no one is hungry and no one is lonely. When Mr. DiMaggio plays "The Star-Spangled Banner" on his concertina, the baby's wails and McDuff's howls signal the end of the celebration. Jeffers's humorous illustrations-sometimes four to a page-reveal the day in detail and depict the summer holiday with an old-fashioned flavor. The dog's various expressions are perfectly represented, showing his contentment, surprise, determination, hunger, dismay, and satisfaction. The text will strike a chord with parents who understand all the work that traveling with a young child entails, and youngsters will be pleased to see that this lovable canine has returned.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The wiley Westie returns in McDuff's Wild Romp by Rosemary Wells, illus. by Susan Jeffers, in which he heads off to Aunt Frieda's with the baby, and winds up besting the woman's cat for the baby's Turkey Tidbits and wreaking havoc in the process. Joining this square paper-over-board format are reissues of McDuff Goes to School (0-7868-5676-9), McDuff Moves In (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
When Fred and Lucy go for an outing with their baby and little dog McDuff, ants steal their picnic. The afternoon looks bleak until McDuff finds Mr. DiMaggio all alone with too much food. Although the idea of ants carrying off sandwiches is a little far-fetched, McDuffÆs endearing character and the appealing illustrations setting the story in the 1940s give the story style. 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
Mischievous and much-loved McDuff, the West Highland white terrier, returns for a seventh adventure in this successful series from old pros (and Westie owners) Wells and Jeffers (McDuff Goes to School, 2001, etc.). Anyone who has ever packed up a baby and related paraphernalia for a day-long outing will smile at the piles of equipment for this Fourth of July beach picnic, including a well-stocked picnic basket, an inflatable Float-a-Boat, Slug-a-Bug insect repellent, and the delightfully named Handy Dandy Foldaway Baby Emergency Travel Kit. When aggressive ants carry away the family picnic, McDuff saves the day by befriending a lonely older man, Mr. DiMaggio, who gracefully shares his elaborate picnic with McDuff's family: parents Fred and Lucy and their unnamed baby girl. (Though children won't care, adults may wonder why this '30s-era baby girl is dressed for a family outing in overalls rather than a dress, and why her doting mother forgot the baby's bonnet.) The cozy, old-fashioned story is simple enough to be understood by younger preschoolers, with enough humor from McDuff's antics to entertain all the children in the family and their parents, too. Jeffers provides her usual polished, supportive illustrations that capture McDuff's sly attitude down to the last whisker. Readers will relish her final double-page spread of the little car chugging homeward against a midnight-blue sky filled with flamboyant fireworks. This story could serve as preparation for Fourth of July fireworks celebrations or as a summertime treat to tuck into an old-fashioned wicker picnic basket. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
PreS.^-Gr.2. In this episode of the charming McDuff series, little Highland terrier McDuff and his people-family head out on the Fourth of July picnic. For McDuff, the car trip has its ups (the aromatic fried chicken on the backseat) and downs (sharing space with the new baby). After numerous starts and stops, the family arrives at the lake, ready to enjoy the day. Alas, ants get to the picnic before the people do, but a resourceful, hungry McDuff finds food and, in the process, a new friend. The droll third-person narrative alternates between canine and human points of view, and Jeffers' colorful, glossy illustrations, often presented in multiple panels, with vintage details, use varied perspectives to enhance the text's humor and drama. McDuff's expressive face and his well-meaning if misunderstood antics make this a charmer. --Shelle Rosenfeld
