The Perfect Picnic by Ciara Flood

Unlikely best friends Squirrel and Mole decide today is the day for a perfect picnic. They prepare sandwiches (with no butter); apples; crackers and a delicious strawberry layer sponge cake. Squirrel has the map and Mole has his back pack but unfortunately, very early on, Mole's pack catches on a blackberry bush and the thorns rip a long slit in the bottom of his pack. Mole and Squirrel continue their hunt for the perfect picnic spot oblivious to the loss of all their food. Luckily, though, other forest animals have been following this disaster and somehow the day is saved with a wonderful generous gathering at the end even if it is not quite perfect. Oh, and for the next picnic, Mole suggests they might add some butter to the sandwiches.

I adore picnics even though I don't go on them very often. When I was a child we often went on picnics - my mum, dad and I - and we also had an American cookery book that fascinated me because it was filled with photos of glamorous people enjoying picnics in all sorts of locations.

Ciara Flood is a UK illustrator so I am puzzled as to how her book came to be published here in Australia by Five Mile Press. I have already mentioned another book by Ciara Flood - Those Pesky Rabbits. 

I love her illustration of Squirrel and Mole's homes. It reminds me of Upstairs Mouse and Downstairs Mole; Happy Hoppy Home and Need a House call Ms Mouse. 

Take a look at this post about picnics from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything. I would pair The Perfect Picnic (sorry it is out of print) with:

The Disgusting Sandwich

The Rattlebang Picnic

Another famous book where the main character does not realise everything is being lost on their journey is this one but I am sure there are others:

The disgusting sandwich by Gareth Edwards and Hannah Shaw

I called into school this week to pick up a set of books for holiday reading and among them was The Disgusting Sandwich.  Such a funny book.  I will definitely add this to my Kindergarten read-a-loud collection.

"One day a boy came to the park.
He had a sandwich with him.
It had fresh white bread and peanut butter.
It was a beautiful sandwich."

But not for long.  In a cumulative tale badger watches this delectable treat as it is covered in sand, goop, squish marks, ants, feathers, slime and worse.  Finally, though, badger has the sandwich in his paws. Yum!

The back cover says :

A gloriously yucky story, 

with a wicked twist in the tale.

Teachers might be able to use this detailed analysis of the illustrations, text and list of related books.
Celebrate Sandwich Day with great ideas from my friend at Kinderbooks.

Take a look at the beautiful web page by the illustrator.  I certainly need to add more of her titles to our library collection.

Here is a page from The Disgusting Sandwich.