Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Starred Review Ernestine, who lives with her father in the city, narrates this story of going overnight camping with her aunt and cousin. It is the small African American girl's first such trip, and she's excited to buy needed equipment and spend time outdoors. Though she thinks she knows what to expect, the child is surprised by a number of new experiences. For example, swimming at the Y and swimming in a lake are very different: "There are fish in here!" she exclaims, with eyes wide and teeth clenched. Hiking in the woods is not the same as walking to school, and spending a night without her father nearby is lonesome. But finding new insects, admiring huge trees, and gazing at a startling starlit sky help her discover the wonders of the outdoors. Sweet pencil illustrations, collaged and painted digitally, appear in a variety of sizes, including some graphic-style panels that employ speech bubbles for dialogue. Beginning readers will enjoy being able to look at a picture and read the camping word placed nearby mera, hat, swimsuit, pillow, sunglasses the endpapers as well as in the story. This title can serve as a manual for children who are about to go camping for the first time or as a remembrance for those who have had that exhilarating adventure.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A young black girl experiences her first-ever camping trip, invited along by her aunt and cousin.Ernestine, the immediately likable narrator, has never been camping, but she knows she is going to love it. She is thoroughly prepared, barely fitting all the gear her aunt listed into her duffel bag. When at last Aunt Jackie arrives, Ernestine says goodbye to her dad. She and her cousin amuse themselves in the car until they arrive at the campground: a full-bleed, double-page spread of lake and trees and mountains that will have readers ready to break out their own tents. After working hard to set up their tent, the girls are ready for a swim-but newbie Ernestine, who loves swimming at the Y, is surprised to find there are fish in the pond. After lunch, they all go on a hike, but someone seems to have packed too much in her backpack. A campfire, dinner, s'mores, some tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, a touch of homesickness, and a star-filled night all await the narrator in her memorable trip that is full of surprises. Experienced campers will smile knowingly while the inexperienced will gain tips about how real camping compares to the imagined. Mann's thin, sometime-scribbly lines and earth-toned colors capture the child's viewpoint masterfully, and the variety of layouts, from pages full of small vignettes with speech bubbles to spread-spanning landscapes, carries readers through anticipation, humor, and awe in this longer-than-usual picture-book/graphic-novel hybrid. All characters are black.This delightful trip will be savored again and again. (Picture book. 5-10)

Horn Book (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

City-dweller Ernestine has never been camping, but when Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha invite her, she gets her dad's okay and starts preparing: new flashlight and sleeping bag, a homemade batch of trail mix, and a long list of things to pack--all helpfully pictured and labeled in the engaging art. After a long car ride, they arrive at the campground, and Ernestine learns that tent pitching is harder than it looks and that hiking in the woods is tougher than walking to school. Dinner (tofu hot dogs and broccoli salad) and swimming (with fish!) present some new challenges for the girl, but bedtime proves the trickiest time of all. Aunt Jackie knows just what to do to help her niece get over her homesickness and enjoy even the night: "Let's go look at the stars"--accompanied by a stunning double-page spread in deep purple and black. Ernestine narrates the story in first person and present tense, capturing the immediacy of her experiences. Mann's skillfully crafted pencil and "digitally collaged and painted" illustrations, in a nicely paced mix of panels, full-page illustrations, and double-page spreads, quietly foster a love for the wilderness while they show how time spent outside can bring families closer. A rare and welcome depiction of an African American family enjoying nature (see also Hike, rev. 3/20).

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A young black girl experiences her first-ever camping trip, invited along by her aunt and cousin.Ernestine, the immediately likable narrator, has never been camping, but she knows she is going to love it. She is thoroughly prepared, barely fitting all the gear her aunt listed into her duffel bag. When at last Aunt Jackie arrives, Ernestine says goodbye to her dad. She and her cousin amuse themselves in the car until they arrive at the campground: a full-bleed, double-page spread of lake and trees and mountains that will have readers ready to break out their own tents. After working hard to set up their tent, the girls are ready for a swim-but newbie Ernestine, who loves swimming at the Y, is surprised to find there are fish in the pond. After lunch, they all go on a hike, but someone seems to have packed too much in her backpack. A campfire, dinner, s'mores, some tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, a touch of homesickness, and a star-filled night all await the narrator in her memorable trip that is full of surprises. Experienced campers will smile knowingly while the inexperienced will gain tips about how real camping compares to the imagined. Mann's thin, sometime-scribbly lines and earth-toned colors capture the child's viewpoint masterfully, and the variety of layouts, from pages full of small vignettes with speech bubbles to spread-spanning landscapes, carries readers through anticipation, humor, and awe in this longer-than-usual picture-book/graphic-novel hybrid. All characters are black.This delightful trip will be savored again and again. (Picture book. 5-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Fans of Alison Farrell-s The Hike will find much to love in this graphic novel-style picture book by Mann (Josie-s Lost Tooth) about Ernestine, a city kid on her first camping trip. Gathering provisions and driving to the campsite with her Aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha is lots of fun, but once they arrive at a lakeside campsite shaded by towering pines-rendered in woodsy-toned collaged pencil drawings-Ernestine is definitely out of her comfort zone (-It-s so quiet. And big. It smells like trees, and fire, and dirt-). Using first-person narration and balloon dialogue, Mann takes Ernestine and readers through a journey of rude shocks and newfound resilience toward mastery. Ernestine discovers, to her wide-eyed horror, that there are real fish in the lake, and the hills are bigger than anything in the city. A bout of late-night homesickness leaves her missing her single father, but there are also s-mores (Ernestine turns out to be an expert marshmallow toaster), an awe-inspiring starry sky, and, in the last swim before returning home, -The fish don-t bite me once.- Mann wisely refrains from tying up her story with a big ribbon, but readers will understand what Ernestine knows: the world looks different after a wonderful adventure. Ages 3-7. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (May)

School Library Journal (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

K-Gr 2 It's Ernestine's first camping trip and she is excited. At the Cedar Tree Campground, Ernestine's aunt Jackie and cousin Samantha introduce her to all the wonders and fun; they swim in the lake, hug huge trees, and eat delicious broccoli salad and s'mores, of course. While there, Ernestine finds certain activities less enjoyable, but with encouragement and support she adjusts. By the end of their stay, she eagerly anticipates next year's trip. From preparation to return, Mann details many steps relevant to camping, using a combination of full spreads, and multi-panel pages. Her narrative voice feels like a journal created by Ernestine. VERDICT From the car ride to the tent setup, young readers will get a solid foundation in what to expect from camping. A great guide for those heading out on their first outdoor adventure. Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.