On a Fourth of July picnic with his human family, McDuff, a beloved buttrouble-mongering white terrier, inadvertently allows " silent invaders" (namely,ants) to make off with the entire contents of the lunch basket. Luckily, McDuffhas a way with strangers (and their picnic baskets) , and in no time flat, he`sfinagled an invitation from a lonely older man to share his meal with thefamily. Rosemary Wells and Susan Jeffers`s series about the earnest pooch and hisexpanding community of friends and family harkens back to quainter days, whenbaby carriers were buckled into cars with leather straps and kind gentlemendidn`t mind sharing their fried chicken and devil`s food cake with strangers. Jeffers`s inviting paintings of 1930s cars and fashions, and of course thelittle white dog himself, are warm and appealing.
