Camping is a messy business! Ame Dyckman sheds light on the adventures and challenges that come with a good family trip outdoors in the book, Campingland.
No Camping Here!
The book begins with a family who sporadically decides to go on a camping trip. The choice as a whole turns out to be a mistake as the animals take their food, the tent refuses to serve as shelter through the night, and the bugs have a field day biting their skin. The family ultimately opts for cutting the trip short wherein they come upon a theme park named Campingland.
In Campingland, guests can get the illusion of a good camping trip without getting their hands dirty. At first, it seems the family is enjoying themselves. One of the kids in the group, however, says otherwise. He boldly declares what everyone else is thinking: “This place is fake!”
The family reflects on their first camping trip. It wasn’t so much that they disliked the quality time spent together. It was more a matter of them being unprepared for the wild. The family decides to try again with a bit more effort applied to the planning department. The results are fantastic.
Lessons Learned
The reader learns the importance of planning ahead and trying again alongside the family in the story. We could easily encounter parents and kids exhausted with their first experience with camping and underwhelmed by the theme park that is just too perfect. This could be the end of a good story.
Instead, the author creates a family who decides to reconsider their approach to vacationing outdoors. This pivot in the story is crucial as it shows the reader what is possible when they refuse to give up.
Worth A Read
Campingland by Ame Dyckman gets five stars for great storytelling and visuals. This is a great choice for parents looking for a funny read for storytime.