Buck Wilder's Small Twig Hiking and Camping Guide: A Complete Introduction to the World of Hiking & Camping for Small Twigs of All Ages

Discusses the basic equipment and preparations needed to go camping or hiking, offers information on hiking and camping in the United States and Canada, and explains basic first aid and survival techinques.

Gr 1-3--This so-called guide looks like a cross between Where's Waldo and "The Magic School Bus." Double-page spreads are packed with cutesy comic art in bright watercolors. Maps look more like game boards and have no real use. The section on basics is nothing more than pictures of all the required camp gear. Though the book looks like nonstop fun, it packs little information. Midway through, the content level picks up a little in sections on tracks, picking a campsite, building a campfire, and not getting lost. There are some good environmental tips, especially in the "Leave No Trace" section. However, Jim Arnosky's Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places (S & S, 1990), Patrick McManus's Kid Camping from Aaaaiii! to Zip (Avon, 1991), Laurie Carlson's Kids Camp! (Chicago Review, 1995), or Lynne Foster's Take a Hike! (Little, Brown, 1991) are more useful and informative.

Susannah Price, Boise Public Library, ID

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