Tag: hiking

Outdoor Fun with Board Books

Lynn:  Families who love the outdoors are eager to introduce their little ones to the fun of camping and hiking. Many schools around the nation are integrating outdoor education into their curriculum. It’s not always easy to find books on these activities for pre-schoolers, so I am excited to write about two excellent board books from Duopress, an imprint of Sourcebooks. The series is Terra Babies on the Go, and the two titles I want to feature are My First Book of Hiking and My First Book of Camping.

Both are bright and appealing, with a charming set of diverse children. The text is simple and appropriate but introduces terms for gear, activities, places to go, and simple safety rules. Both mention animals and sights that might be seen. The camping title includes a recipe for S’mores and the Hiking volume has one for a healthy trail mix.

The books are sturdy and rugged enough to be taken along on a trip and are even constructed with a handle for convenient carrying by a child. These are really delightful and will certainly be read over and over.

I want to mention another book from Sourcebooks for older kids. Let’s Go Camping: a Journal & Logbook for Kids (Sourcebooks/Explore, 2025 by Stephanie and Jeremy Puglisi. This paperback journal and activities book is packed with ideas, puzzles, games, and suggestions for hours of fun related to camping and the outdoors. Kids can list animals spotted, review campgrounds, do word puzzles with camping terms, or connect the dots of constellations. There are many places to write or draw what they see and experience. They can do leaf rubbings, seed mosaics, or other fun activities. This journal publishes on June 3 and is perfect to take along for quiet moments, a rainy day in the tent or driving home in the car.

Get these soon! Summer is around the corner!

Picture Books Go Camping

Lynn: I know summer is drawing to a close but there is still time to get outside and camp and hike with kids! In fact, the crisp air and colorful beauty of fall may be even better for enjoying nature. Of course, books should ALWAYS be a part of whatever we do. I have two delightful picture books that will be a perfect way to lead up to an outdoor adventure. Read these and smile, and then pack up your tent and lace up your hiking boots!

In The Camping Trip (Candlewick, 2020) by Jennifer Mann, Ernestine, a young city girl, excitedly tells readers that she is going on her first camping trip with her Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha. She and her Dad are packing up everything she needs and the trip begins. Ernestine is sure she will love camping but there are some surprises. The tent is not one bit easy to set up, swimming in the lake is not at all like swimming at the Y—there are fish in there—and maybe her backpack is a bit too full for hiking without getting really tired! But a campfire supper is really fun and s’mores are delicious. At first sleeping in a tent is a little scary. It is REALLY dark and Ernestine misses her dad. But smart Aunt Jackie takes the girls outside to see the stars and make a wish on a shooting star. The next day, Ernestine bravely tries more new things and when it is time to go she can’t wait to camp again.

Mann’s illustrations are adorable, cartoon-type stick figures with big heads and packed with wonderful small details. The book is a charming mix of graphic novel with panels and speech bubbles and picture book with large spreads. The text is delightful and there is such an authentic feel both to the dialog and to Ernestine’s thoughts and reactions. I especially love the packing scene and the hike. Anyone who has walked ANY distance with young children will laugh at the progression from energetic to exhausted. Use this book to introduce camping to kids or as a wonderful reminder of the fun to be had. Oh, and don’t miss the endpapers!

 

My second book is Hike (Candlewick, 2020) by Pete Oswald and while it shares some characteristics with The Camping Trip, it is a nearly wordless book, telling its story completely with illustrations and a few sound effects. Here a dad gently wakes his sleeping child in a bedroom showing evidence of preparations for a hike. As the story unfolds in expressive small vignettes balanced with full-page illustrations, the reader watches the pair experience a day hiking through woods, walking across a fallen log by a waterfall, climbing a rocky cliff, and planting a tree. Charming details make each scene a small story all its own as they observe animals, take pictures, and share a very special day.

Oswald uses a peaceful palette of greens and browns in this quiet but rewarding account not only of the joys of spending time in nature but also of a parent and child spending time together. Back home together at the end of the day, the pair snuggle together on the sofa looking at the drawings and photographs of their special day. This quiet book rewards paying attention to the many details and will be one to read and share over and over.