• Angelina and Henry by Katharine Holabird, illus. by Helen Craig. (2002) Ages 4-8
  These “fit and fearless explorers” set out for a camping trip and are nearly captured by Big Cat! Camping basics like packing and mapping a route are mixed in with the adventure.
• A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen. (2003) Ages 4-8
  Mr. Magee and his dog, Dee, head to the wilderness only to encounter a marshmallow-loving, vision-impaired bear who sends their camper rolling into a river to the edge of a waterfall.
• Frank and Izzy Set Sail by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. (2004) Ages 4-8
  The complementary strengths and weaknesses of this duo are revealed during an island campout.
• Let’s Go Camping with Mr. Sillypants by M.K. Brown. (1995) Ages 4-8
  Mr. Sillypants oversleeps on the morning of his camping trip, so he rushes into the woods on his own. After some silly thoughts and even sillier dreams, he finally finds his group.
• Lucille Camps In by Kathryn Lasky, illus. by Marylin Hafner. (2004) Ages 3-6
  Lucille the pig is too little to go camping with her father and siblings, so her mom helps her camp out at home. Kevin Henkes wrote a similar story about a bunny in Bailey Goes Camping.
• Maisy Goes Camping by Lucy Cousins. (2004) Ages 2-5
  When Maisy goes camping with her friends, pitching the tent is a tricky task requiring teamwork...but the real challenge comes when they all have to squeeze into it!
• Stella and Roy Go Camping by Ashley Wolff. (1999) Ages 4-8
  This story is set in Yosemite, where siblings Stella and Roy argue about whether or not any of the animal prints they find were left by bears. A similar story, Bear Hug by Laurence Pringle, depicts a father instead of a mother, and is the only book on this list to feature people of color.
• Toasting Marshmallows by Kristine O’Connell George, illus. by Kate Kiesler. (2001) Ages 5-9
  This collection of poems about camping runs the gammut from the mundane (mosquitoes) to the magnificent (the camping shirt a child keeps hidden from the laundry to preserve her memories).
• When We Go Camping by Margriet Ruurs, illus. by Andrew Kiss. (2001) Ages 4-8
  A family camps in the Canadian wilderness, discovering the wonders of hiking, canoeing, and spotting wild animals. Photorealistic pictures are laden with hidden animal shapes.

* Special thanks to Angela Leeper, author of “S’mores and More” in the July 2008 issue of “Book Links” magazine.

You can download the booklist as a pdf.