When We Go Camping [Paperback]

Margriet Ruurs (Author), Andrew Kiss (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

In this beautifully illustrated book, one busy family finds lots to do from sun up to sunset. At the campsite, there’s wood to chop for the fire and fish to catch. And there’s lots of time to explore, climb rocks, splash in the lake, and discover animals in the shadows of the woods. As afternoon turns to evening, supper needs to be made, and just before bed, stories are told around the campfire.

When We Go Camping is as instructional as it is delightful. Each painting highlights the tracks of one animal, which curve from the text into the illustration. Readers can turn to the glossary for more details about the wildlife depicted on each page.

When We Go Camping is a perfect way to preserve summer memories all year long.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-A dreamy, poetic text and rich, detailed paintings combine to create a book that evokes the sights, sounds, and smells of camping. Family members pitch a tent by a lake, hike, swim, canoe, and interact with their surroundings. The text celebrates the pure wilderness, and the characters are depicted as responsible campers-they hoist their cooler into a tree to protect it from bears, wear life jackets while out on the lake, and identify the correct berries to eat off the bushes. The illustrations show the birds, squirrels, and elk that the children and their parents tiptoe past on their hike. There are plenty of things on this camping trip for readers to examine-animals hide in the trunks of trees or in the lake. There is also the natural world to ponder-families of raccoons, birds, deer, and moose abound, and a key helps readers identify the creatures. This book will interest both those who have camped and those with camping trips yet to come. The only thing missing from this story is the mosquitoes.
Susan Marie Pitard, formerly at Weezie Library for Children, Nantucket Atheneum, MA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Ages 4-8. The thrill of getting close to nature comes across clearly in this book, which is as handsome as it is informative. A brother and sister are on a camping trip with their parents. As they pull their canoe into the water, birds are singing. It's time to explore. Later, there's work to be done: making a fire, preparing food, and hoisting the supplies up a tree so the bears won't get them. Hiking gives the family a chance to observe the way the animals live. Even as the sun falls, there's much to observe--from the stars in the sky, to the crickets chirping. A key at the back gives a bit of information about the animals that appear in each painting. The painterly art is a pleasure to look at. Its almost photographic reality gives children the feeling of being right in the picture. A good introduction for children who have never been camping, and a nice remembrance for those who have. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tundra Books (April 20, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887766854
• ISBN-13: 978-0887766855
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 0.2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Books - they are windows to the world and truly open doors. I have written over 27 books for children and read books all the time - from Avi to Zolotow.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book to prepare for a camping trip, June 24, 2008

By 

J. Ness (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When We Go Camping (Paperback)

We bought this book before taking my two-and-a-half year old son camping, and he loved it. He's really attracted to the illustrations, especially finding the "hidden" animals on each page. The story was accessible to him, too. So accessible, in fact, that a hike through the woods on our trip prompted him to quote the book. I appreciate that the narrator's voice is vague enough to be either the boy or the girl that we see in the illustrations. I would have given 5 stars, but after reading this paperback book for about two weeks, the pages have become loose. I would hope for a little more life than that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic Camping Scenes, October 31, 2009

By 

KidsTalk (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When We Go Camping (Paperback)

As part of our preschool autumn unit on camping, this was one of the introductory books we used for the unit. We began with a child-generated list of what we knew about camping. This book followed that discussion and the children were thrilled to find the things we mentioned throughout the book. Their eyes were wide with wonder as I turned every page. They walked through typical rustic campground experiences (not the KAO type!)with one line written on each page to describe the action. Example: "When we go camping, we catch trout, chop wood, and make a fire. (facing page) We hoist our food high up in a tree to keep the bears away." (bear tracks beside the print!) Animals appear very naturally in the woods or somewhere in each scene as you would see them in real life. Having seen a Piliated Woodpecker in the forest, I was delighted to see one in this book. Each page is a work of art making me want to seek out more books by this illustrator, Andrew Kiss. The cover is very representative of what you will find on every page. Highly recommend.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great camping book for my toddler, November 9, 2009

By 

J. Roach "yoga mama" (bayou country, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When We Go Camping (Paperback)

I think that this is a great book to introduce toddlers to camping. I love the illustrations and images that the words convey. I do hope that my daughter understands that we won't see all of these animals when we are out and about, though.