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MONSTER AND MOUSE GO CAMPING

Name: MONSTER AND MOUSE GO CAMPING
Author: Deborah Underwood
ISBN: 978-0-544-64832-6

by Deborah Underwood ; illustrated by Jared Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2018

This is one camping trip sure to live up to expectations.

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A camping trip for two friends doesn’t quite go as planned.

Tiny, white Mouse is bursting with enthusiasm when she greets big, fuchsia Monster with “Let’s go camping!” But Monster doesn’t know what camping is. Mouse explains: “You walk in the woods. You sleep in a tent. You tell spooky stories.” Monster’s posture says it all (scary!), but Mouse’s promise that there will also be food brings him around—it’s clear from the opening spread that he is ruled by his stomach. Camping-savvy readers will note something missing from Mouse’s checklist of items to pack. And as the duo heads through the woods, their supplies dwindle—apparently Monster, who is round and bristly with a horn on the end of his long snout and two pointy teeth, must be part goat. When they finally reach the hilltop where Mouse has chosen to camp, the truth comes out. Mouse’s face droops as she learns what’s happened, but Monster’s regretful sincerity is genuine, as is Mouse’s. In a twist readers won’t see coming, the two find a (hilarious!) solution to their problem, and Monster turns out to like camping after all. The digital illustrations keep the focus on the friends and their emotions, the slapstick humor coming through loud and clear.

This is one camping trip sure to live up to expectations. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 29, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-544-64832-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 18, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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THE MAN WHO DIDN'T LIKE ANIMALS
by Deborah Underwood ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

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WALTER HAD A BEST FRIEND
by Deborah Underwood ; illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier

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JO BRIGHT AND THE SEVEN BOTS
by Deborah Underwood ; illustrated by Meg Hunt

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)