“BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH …
This early chapter book is a great read about planning ahead, taking notes, and being nice to your friends. The illustrations are so beautiful, this is a nice series.”
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“In this engaging and thoughtful chapter book Timo the rabbit has an adventure with his friends and the trip challenges them in many ways. Timo is forced out of his comfort zone and in the end this turns out to be a good thing.”
—Marya Jansen-Gruber
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“Timo Goes Camping is the newest early reader chapter book about the loveable rabbit Timo and his friends…
Each of the five characters on the camping trip has a distinctive personality: nervous Timo, smarty Suki, grumpy Bog, helpful Rae, and quiet Hedgewick. Children will relate to this cast of characters, and when the trip is complete, and the last pages of the book are read, children will understand that the camping adventure was also about courage, lessons in life, and how teasing can be hurtful. The message lends easily to opportunities for discussions about teasing, courage, teamwork, and learning from mistakes, etc. The text is refreshing, uncomplicated and the perfect font for an early chapter book.
The complementing illustrations are vibrant, delightful, and inviting….
Timo Goes Camping is a great book for beginning campers and readers who enjoy the outdoors. The story has lots of information and ideas for preparing for a camping trip. Certainly an enchanting story depicting a familiar Canadian adventure!
Thematic Links: Camping; Friendship; Kindness; Courage; Teasing”
—Carmelita Cechetto-Shea
Read the full review on page 13 of the April 2018 issue of Resource Links Magazine
“It’s wonderful to see a new Timo story from Victoria Allenby and illustrated by Dean Griffiths. This early reader series tugs at my heart with each new story as the rabbit Timo learns new life lessons alongside his friends Bogs, Hedgewick, Rae and Suki….
This lovely series of early readers returns an innocence and humility to children’s early readers that we haven’t seen since Peter Rabbit and Frog and Toad. There are valuable lessons about friendship and self-acceptance and learning. But, even more, Timo allows children to share in his learning about friendship and interacting with others, as well as the importance of reading. From his first book, Timo’s Garden (2015), and his second, Timo’s Party (2016), the rabbit is learning how to deal with friends and his own insecurities which he is always able to put aside when he takes the opportunities to learn and gain insight from his experiences.
As in all three of the Timo books, Victoria Allenby has made her characters so distinct that their roles in this camping adventure make perfect sense….For an author to create a story rich in characters, atmosphere, plot and positive messages is an astounding achievement for any book but extraordinary for an early reader.
The story is brought to visual life by Dean Griffiths’ artwork, with its textural richness of setting and scene. Dean Griffiths…knows how to adapt his style for an early reader, balancing the story, not becoming the story as it may, and rightly so, in picture books.
Together Victoria Allenby and Dean Griffiths have made Timo Goes Camping a book that any child would love to take on their own camping adventure, as guide (see the illustration below about using a compass), insurance or pleasant diversion.”
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“Colorful, digital illustrations reveal each animal friend’s personality and complement the text of this early chapter book, which describes an experience with which many children will be familiar.”
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“A sequel to Timo’s Garden (2016) and Timo’s Party (2017), this book tells an accessible, appealing story in eight chapters of large-print text. Created with warmth and attention to detail, the illustrations will help other noncampers imagine the settings and equipment as well as the dressed animal characters. The inviting cover art will draw readers to the book.”
—Carolyn Phelan
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“Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Genre: animal fiction
What did you like about the book? …This is an excellent choice to display teamwork, to learn about camping and canoeing and having fun….A simple, short story perfect for beginning chapter book readers. There are bright, detailed digitally created illustrations on every page.
Anything you did not like about this book? No.
To whom would you recommend this book? Kids who have enjoyed the previous two stories about Timo and his friends will like this in addition to those who like animal fiction.”
—Katrina Yurenka, Moderator, Youth Services Book Review
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“Five friends embark on a camping trip in this early reader chapter book. Saucy Suki, grumpy Bogs, helpful Rae, quiet Hedgewick, and studious Timo decide—with the urging of adventurous Suki—to take a camping trip, even though none of them have gone camping before….The bold illustrations are coupled with flowing, sensory-laden prose to make a treat for the eyes and ears alike. VERDICT An enjoyable choice for elementary schools and sure to be popular with children. A great choice for a class read-aloud during Kindness Week.”
—Amanda C. Buschmann, Carroll Elementary School, Houston
Read the full review in the February 2018 issue of School Library Journal
“Allenby’s five woodland characters are full of personality….Griffiths’ digital illustrations depict the animals realistically but also anthropomorphize them with clothing; they walk on two legs. Vignette, single-page, and double-page artwork serves to show the friends’ emotions and illustrate the text. Beginning chapter-book readers will look for the friends’ next adventure and head to the library whenever their own skills are lacking.”
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“This delightful chapter book is due to be released in March 2018, plenty of time before camping season here in Canada kicks in….
When the trip begins, Timo immediately finds his knowledge useful, helping tie the frying pan to Hedgewick’s pack with the knots he learned about. As the trip progresses, Timo’s knowledge continues to come in handy. There is much teasing from Suki about the mistakes made along the way, and even about Timo’s book-learning until Timo gathers the courage to discuss how teasing can hurt people’s feelings. I liked the opportunity taken for this discussion and the way it came up naturally through the plot. I liked the topic of a typical Canadian pastime such as camping.
Of course, the thing I loved most about this book was how even Suki agreed by the end that every adventure needs a librarian.
This is a good book for kids to introduce the idea of camping and some of the activities involved in such an adventure, the importance of not going into an adventure without some knowledge and preparation, and about ensuring that teasing doesn’t become hurtful. The illustrations are lovely, bringing the animals to life, along with their environment.”
—Shonna Froebel
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