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. Readers who loved McDuff Goes to School and McDuff's New Friend will enjoythis summery entry in the series. (Ages 3 to 5) --Emilie Coulter