The Lost Picnic

The bulldogs from The Lost House head out for a picnic in this subtle and elegantly surreal follow-up. Like that book, it’s also a seek-and-find story, but readers unfamiliar with The Lost House may not realize it until the end. Instead, Cronin traces Granddad and his grandchildren’s journey while quietly mentioning the food items that—unbeknownst to the bulldogs—are falling out of the wicker basket strapped to their vehicle. “They stop to take some pictures by a river and think about the three big pretzels they will eat later,” he writes, letting readers know what to look for. Like The Lost House, the book is filled with odd, mesmerizing details and eye-popping colors—even without something to search for, Cronin’s acrylic paintings are worth lingering over. Ages 3–7. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)