Return of the Jedi: The Baby Ewoks' Picnic Surprise

The Baby Ewoks' Picnic Surprise

Author: Melinda Luke

Illustrator: Pat Paris

Medium: Picture book

Publication Date: May 1984

Timeline Placement: 1 BBY

 

The Ewoks are preparing for the Harvest Moon Feast, which may or may not be completely separate and distinct from the Harvest Festival they were preparing for in the last book. Princess Kneesaa finishes all her chores early so she can go outside and play, but on her way out she's waylaid by Mama Ewok, who foists her two woklings Nippet and Wiley onto Kneesaa to babysit while Mama Ewok bakes a pie.

Kneesaa sees Wicket passing by and asks for his help. Having repented for his misogynistic humor in earlier books, Wicket offers to take the babies fishing. Kneesaa packs a picnic basket and they all set off. On the way, Wicket keeps an eye out for rainbow berries, the Ewoks' favorite delicacy at the Harvest Moon Feast, but the crop is scarce this year.

Wicket tries to instruct the baby Ewoks in the intricacies of fishing, only to be made to look a fool when Nippet and Wiley dump every fish he catches back into the river when his back is turned. Having failed to catch lunch, the Ewoks settle for bread-and-honey sandwiches, which the babies enjoy by dumping honey all over each other. The Ewoks are then chased by an angry swarm of Nevoota bees and dive into the river to save themselves.

Exasperated, Wicket and Kneesaa dry off the babies and task them to play quietly and keep out of trouble while the two of them relax. Predictably, the babies soon grow too quiet, and Wicket and Kneesaa find them covered in berry juice. But wait! This berry juice is all the colors of the rainbow. Nippet and Wiley have found a patch of rainbow berries! They bring the berries back to the Harvest Moon Festival and are greeted as conquering heroes. Mama Ewok announces that from now on, Wicket and Kneesaa are the only ones she wants to babysit her kids. Strangely, the book doesn't end with Wicket and Kneesaa reacting to this pronouncement by looking at one another in slack-jawed horror.

These Ewok books just keep getting more and more childish, but Pat Paris's artwork remains really cute.