Cake for Everyone

A picnic-day theft begets a chaotic game of seek-and-find—and cause for collaboration—in this wordless picture book from Tjong-Khing. Swooping down upon an animalian picnic, an eagle makes off with a blanket holding the group’s belongings, including a cloche-enclosed layer cake. A crane-like bird soon attacks the eagle, sending the objects earthward and propelling the picnickers on a search. But each chase comes with its own interactions, many involving characters outside of the original crew. A squirrel kicks a soccer ball to its owners, two young frogs, who successfully aim it at an ape intent on another character’s hat. Pleasingly fragmented and comically cohesive, spreads rendered in fine lines follow the antics, making for a set of brain-teasing mini-quests that invite readers to consider who arrived first, what belonged to whom, and how they’ll all arrive at the titular conceit. Ages 4–7. (Aug.)