The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

by Joe Cepeda (Author)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

A boy and his father go on a camping trip where everything goes wrong! Or does it? From Joe Cepeda, a Theodor Seuss Geisel and Pura Belpré Honor Winner, this early reader comic is perfect for first graders to read on their own!

A boy and his father go on a camping trip! Despite one disaster after another, in the end, father and son agree it was their best weekend ever!

Simple text and comic-book style illustrations support comprehension in this delightful book, ideal for first graders.

Like the father in the book, Joe Cepeda is of Hispanic heritage and he loves going camping with his son.

I Like to Read(R) Comics are perfect for kids who are challenged by or unengaged in reading, kids who love art, and the growing number of young comics fans. Filled with eye-catching art, humor, and terrific stories, these comics provide unique reading experiences for growing minds.

We hope that all new readers will say, "I like to read comics!"

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Mostly minor setbacks force [the father and son] to enjoy the experience they're having instead of the one they’d expected. Digital illustrations in aquas, greens, and browns have an ink-and-watercolor feel that suits the low-stakes adventure

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—It's school break and time for an adventure! And dad's ready to go, sort of. The burritos are ready for the car ride, the car is comedically overpacked, and picturesque Camp Lago Azul, where they're hoping to set down stakes, is full. So the boy and his father move along to arid, arborless Camp Lago Verde, too late to cook dinner and short of their tent poles. Sleeping under the stars is gorgeous, but they wake up nose-to-nose with curious deer. Their full day in nature features bears and skunks, a boating idyll that doesn't produce any fish for dinner, and a rainstorm which forces a flourish of ingenuity in shelter-building. In the end, nearly everything goes wrong, but between positive attitudes, parental problem-solving chops, and a serious slew of PB&Js, it turns out to be a picturesque bonding experience. Cepeda's sketchy, colorful images of natural landscapes and friendly fauna are a solid argument for the value of any time spent in nature. The comic's paneling choices, while slightly idiosyncratic for new readers, keep the story rolling, climbing, and flowing through the various stages of the trip. The not-so-subtle wink to adults to keep their cool and make the best of similar situations will definitely elicit knowing chuckles and nods from those accompanying young readers. Cepeda's characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired.

VERDICT An efficient, richly illustrated, and funny adventure, entertaining for early readers and perhaps even more amusing for adults sharing the story.—Emilia Packard

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An efficient, richly illustrated, and funny adventure, entertaining for early readers and perhaps even more amusing for adults sharing the story." —School Library Journal

"A solid lesson for all of us on how to navigate life's little disappointments." —The Horn Book
Joe Cepeda
Joe Cepeda received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach, and also studied Engineering at Cornell University. He is a fine artist, as well as an illustrator of more than thirty-five book jackets and picture books, which have received many honors including Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, Parenting Magazine's Reading Magic Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, Texas Library Association 2x2 Reading List, ALA Notable Books, and Child Magazine's Best Book of the Year. Joe illustrated Hey, Hey Hay! by Christy Mihaly, ¡Vamonos! Let's Go! by Rene Colato Lainez, and Swing Sisters by Karen Deans. He both wrote and illustrated the I Like to Read books--Up, I Dig, I See, and I Hop. I Hop received a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor, given to the most distinguished books for beginning readers. Joe received an American Library Association Pura Belpré Honor (for outstanding books that celebrate the Latino cultural experience) and the Recognition of Merit Award from the George G. Stone Center for Children's Books. He lives in Claremont, California
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780823453948
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Holiday House
Publication date
April 30, 2024
Series
I Like to Read Comics
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV032170 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Camping & Outdoor Activities
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
JUV008110 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Humorous
Library of Congress categories
Fathers and sons
Graphic novels
Camping

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