August Book Reviews

While National Park Week is celebrated in April, why not celebrate our National Parks all year long with books! Try reading one of these books and get inspired to take a future trip! All Aboard! National Parks by Kevin & Haily Meyers This wildlife primer is a great way to introduce the youngest of children to the national parks! Children begin their journey by boarding a train and travel the country by visiting some of the most amazing parks. They'll meet an animal common to each park as they pass through by train. Bright colors, whimsical illustrations and landforms of the parks will capture the attention of the youngest of readers. A collection of animal prints is also featured in the book. Mule Train Mail by Craig Brown Meet Anthony. He may look like a cowboy, but Anthony is actually a postman. Working with his team of mules, Anthony makes the mile-long trek down the South Rim of the Grand Canyon delivering mail, groceries, water and more to the people of Supai, a village at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Anthony and the mules endure steep trails and even rain to make sure the villagers get their mail and other necessary supplies. Detailed, colorful illustrations show readers what the Grand Canyon looks like from all angles, not just from the top. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this book will go to the Havasupai Head Start program, which helps children in Supai develop early reading skills. Your Guide to the National Parks by Michael Joseph Oswald With so many national parks to explore, it may be helpful to sit down with a book and explore all of your options before planning your trip. Your Guide to the National Parks contains more than 450 photographs and plenty of kid-friendly activities. If you're looking to visit more than one park, Oswald includes 11 suggestions for multi-park road trips that include sites of interest as you venture from one park to the next. Lodging information and hiking trails are also included, making this book a perfect companion as you hit the road to explore America's treasures. For more information, including maps of the parks, visit www.stoneroadpress.com. National Parks Guide U.S.A. by National Geographic Kids Are your summer travel plans taking you to a national park this year? If so, grab a copy of National Parks Guide U.S.A., the kids’ companion to National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the U.S. In this guide, you’ll be able to read about the different regions of the country and the national parks that find their homes in each region. Within each region, there is a guide for the specific national parks where readers will find pictures, history and websites. The individual sections also provide ranger tips, where to find the best views, checklists for what to do and maps showing some of the sites you don’t want to miss! Readers will also be able to discover what plant and animal life to expect in each of the parks. This guidebook would be especially helpful in getting older children excited for a trip to a national park, and it will have them helping plan trips for the future too! ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org  EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.

Planning a camping trip this summer? Or just wanting to know more about what to expect when camping? These selections will give you a taste of camping without even leaving your home. Monster & Mouse Go Camping by Deborah Underwood Join Monster and Mouse on a camping trip! When Monster is a little hesitant to accompany Mouse on a camping trip, Mouse has some convincing to do! Despite the promises of hiking, sleeping in a tent and telling campfire stories, Monster is not convinced he wants to go until he hears about the food involved. While their packing list will likely be much lighter than yours (the two only pack two sleeping bags, a tent and a lamp), you can discuss with your little ones about what your family needs to take on a camping trip, which likely will vary greatly depending on the ages of your little ones. When Monster gets hungry along the way to the campsite, the supplies begin to disappear! Find out what happens to them and how they survive the camping trip by checking out this book! When We Go Camping by Margriet Ruurs When We Go Camping takes readers young and old on a journey to experience a day in the life of camping. Follow two children as they experience a day of camping from sunrise to sunset through beautiful painted illustrations. These paintings take up most of each page of the book, creating stunning visuals while still teaching camping tips like putting food up high to keep it from animals. Explore with the family as they catch and cook food, hike in nature and enjoy the natural resources camping has to offer. End your journey by seeing a campfire and the sunset with the characters. After the story, there is also a legend at the back of the book that teaches more about the animals featured in the paintings. Along with the information on the animals is a seek-and-find for each painting, asking readers to look for other objects or notice shapes in the paintings. Cool Maps & Geocaching: Great Things to Do in the Great Outdoors by Katherin Hengel If you're heading on a camping trip with older kids, this book gives some great ideas that will keep them busy while enjoying the great outdoors! After giving explanations of geocaching and a safety guide, there are plenty of activities you can plan to do on your next camping trip! The book provides a list of materials needed, so preparation is key as you may not be able to buy some items like tape and glue once you're at your site. Create geocache bottle caps, adventure journals, plastic bag compasses, cube walkers and much more. Make your camping trip memorable and unique by creating some of these projects. Follow the Trail: A Young Person's Guide to the Great Outdoors by Jessica Loy Be prepared for your camping trip by checking out Follow the Trail. Here, you will get tips from young explorers, identification pages on types of trees, wildflowers, animals, sounds, animals tracks and more. The book also includes a safety section with materials listed to make your own first-aid kit. This would be a great activity to do before a camping trip so you're able to bring the kit to the woods with you in case of any injury. For those new to camping, there is also a section in the book that teaches you how to set up camp. Reading this before heading to the campground will help ease any anxieties young campers may have and give them an idea of what they can expect on their adventures! Hike it Baby has a Goodreads Group! Join today and add books to our bookshelf! Looking for more member reviews? Search our blog for other Book Review posts!  Submit your review here for a chance to be included in an upcoming blog post!