June 17, 2025 by Candlewick
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Elena has just gotten a tent, and is so excited that she attempts to construct it without first consulting the instructions. Things don't go particularly well, as she gets tangled up in the flaps, forgets the poles, and generally struggles to get her structure upright. Elena gets very angry and stomps around, but her friend, the little red bird, gently suggests that the instructions might help. Elena, who didn't want any help in the previous book featuring her exploits, Elena Bikes protests at first, but eventually heeds the advice. After studying the schematics, Elena manages to get her tent set up, and is prepared with her teddy bear print pajamas and bunny slippers to spend the night in her new hideout.
Young readers will laugh as Elena disappears into an ocean of tent fabric again and again with an exuberant "Ga-BUNK" and "Ga-BOING" and giggle as Elena's predicament worsens. Will the average three year old see a mirror of their own meltdowns? Perhaps not, but the adults certainly will. This would be an excellent reminder for such times. I can see saying to my grandson "Remember when Elena forgot to read the instructions, but they ended up being really helpful?"
This is a very short beginning reader book, and it has just the right amount of large, clear text accompanied by simple, bright illustrations. The words are not always at the bottom of the page, which I think is a good choice; it's easier to associate the words with specific illustrations that way.
Stylistically, this reminds me a big of LeSieg's In a People House, illustrated by Roy McKie. It even has the same sort of slapstick humor, which is always amusing to the very young.
I've been collecting a number of camping books, and deserves a place in your backpack next to books books like Hedviga Gutierrez's Hiking 101, Paprocki's C is for Camping board book, Watt's Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping, Gamble and Jasper's Goodnight, Campsite, and Sadler and Bollan's P.J. Funnybunny Goes Camping, which should have more attention than the more popular It's Not Easy Being a Bunny by these authors!
No comments:
Post a Comment