PICNIC AT MUDSOCK MEADOW

Polacco returns to the small-town scene of Meteor! (1987) for an affectionate, if stylized, boy-girl story. "Peeeeee youuuuuuu," says Heater before the annual Halloween picnic, and William turns "as red as a Union City farm-fresh tomato." Later, she sneers at his carved pumpkin, tansies his line at the fishing booth, and makes him swallow his seed at the seed-spitting contest. As usual, the author presents a multi-age, multiracial cast tumbling loose jointedly across the pages, with vibrant faces atop colorfully patterned clothing. When swamp gas glows eerily down in Quicksand Bottoms, William bravely rushes out to prove it's not a ghost, falls in the mud, and wins first prize as a swamp monster in the dress-up competition. "My hero," coos Heater, sharing a "plate-o-cream." Proof that Polacco can work her magic on even the most hackneyed plot. (Picture book. 6-8)