School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Despite Dad's dearth of snacks (I mean, pickles?), a nameless big sibling and smaller Iben pack up and head out on a camping expedition in the backyard. A perfect campsite is located, tent is pitched, pickles are nibbled, songs are sung by flashlight, and all is gas and gaiters until Iben's sleeping bag turns uncomfy, one of the kids needs "to poop," and a hungry mosquito invades the tent. All ends quietly and happily with Iben in bed, one sibling cozily cuddled on the couch with Dad, and new expeditions on the horizon. Simple, color-washed illustrations accompany the equally simple, direct text, providing a perfectly warm record of a great (if brief) adventure. VERDICT A Swedish import that's ideal to be shared in a seasonal family storytime or as summer bedtime fare.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Swedish author-illustrator Adbåge's cinematic ability to capture a household with its own idiosyncratic habits has the flavor of understated memoir. A girl in a striped pullover, with an impish grin, and her sister, Iben, prepare for a grand expedition. They set up a tent in the garden and pack flashlights, a toy knife, and quilts. They just need snacks, but Dad says there's nothing but pickles. In one of Adbåge's sly pencil-and-wash drawings, the pair tears the kitchen apart in search of other treats; the narrator holds a leaking box of rice, while Iben tosses utensils out from under the sink. They last in the tent as long as the pickles and songs hold out but then their resolve collapses: "We are sooo bored!... It's no good anymore." They move inside, and the narrator watches "a movie about crocodiles with fast music" with Dad, who reveals a secret stash of cheese puffs. The humor lies in the ironic mismatch between the girls' lofty aspirations and the way things actually work out ("I think I need to poop"). While Adbåge's affectionate family portrait feels particular to this quirky group, it relays a familiar truth of childhood: sometimes planning a novel activity is more fun than the activity itself. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
