Monster and Mouse Go Camping

by Deborah Underwood (Author) Jared Chapman (Illustrator)

Monster and Mouse Go Camping
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Monster proves he’s not that great in the great outdoors in this heartwarming tale of camping and friendship by New York Times bestselling author Deborah Underwood.

It takes a little convincing, but with the promise of food, Monster decides to join Mouse on a camping trip. Things quickly go awry when Mouse takes off to explore, because, well, Monster gets hungry. He starts with just a little snack—the lantern. And the sleeping bags are hard to resist. Then the tent . . .

Stranded in the wild with no supplies, what are a monster and a mouse to do?
 
Join these friends on an unforgettable camping trip, perfect for reading snuggled in a sleeping bag or curled on a couch.
Select format:
Hardcover
$17.99

ALA/Booklist

This funny friendship story is perfect for summer nights.

Kirkus

This is one camping trip sure to live up to expectations.

None

The story’s humor relies on the interplay of the understated text and the digital cartoon art.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--Monster and Mouse prepare for the great outdoors in this picture book about camping and friendship. Mouse convinces reluctant Monster to camp out with the promise of food. They prepare by making a list of essentials which includes sleeping bags, a tent, and a lamp. Once they venture into the woods, it becomes clear that they did not think of everything when Monster has to snack on the supplies. The two friends, cold and hungry, sit in the dark in silence. In a surprise twist, they finally get to experience the joys of camping (and roasted marshmallows) after inadvertently scaring away a family that was sitting around a campfire telling spooky stories. The uniform colors of the digital cartoon illustrations expertly reflect the passing of time throughout the day, with each page getting darker and ending with a starry night sky. There is no background setting in the beginning pages; however, there is a nice contrast between small, white Mouse and large, red Monster. Their body language and large eyes perfectly reinforce their personalities and emotions, from excitement to disappointment. The illustrations are humorous, especially when the family goes screaming into the woods. Lovers of the great outdoors and those with a camping aversion will root for these friends. VERDICT Perfect for sharing one-on-one around the campfire or in a camping-themed storytime.--Lauren White, Wake County Public Libraries, NC

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"The slapstick humor [comes] through loud and clear. This is one camping trip sure to live up to expectations."—Kirkus "Underwood's (Interstellar Cinderella, 2015) story fits nicely among others that use humor to debunk fears or promote friendly monsters, such as Gianna Marino's Night Animals (2015) and Nicholas John Frith's AWerewolf Named Oliver James (2018)."—Booklist "Older kids will enjoy reading this title to younger siblings, if they can curb their own giggles. Use this story to get kids excited about a first camping trip—they'll be looking eagerly for friendly orange and purple monsters who like to eat sleeping bags."—Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books "Lovers of the great outdoors and those with a camping aversion will root for these friends. Perfect for sharing one-on-one around the campfire or in a camping-themed storytime."—School Library Journal

Deborah Underwood
Deborah Underwood has written numerous picture books, including New York Times bestsellers The Quiet Book, The Loud Book, and Here Comes the Easter Cat. Visit her at DeborahUnderwoodBooks.com.

Jared Chapman is the author and illustrator of several books, such as Vegetables in Underwear and Steve, Raised By Wolves. Visit him at jaredchapman.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780544648326
Lexile Measure
380
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Clarion Books
Publication date
May 29, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002180 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc.
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV032170 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Camping & Outdoor Activities
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Friendship
Mice
Monsters
Camping

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