Tacky Goes to Camp by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger.

Another great entry in the Tacky series, this time Tacky and his fellow penguins are headed to summer camp.  It is a rather frozen and snowy, summer camp, but most of the activities are the same.  There is swimming, sleeping in tents, archery, canoeing, and arts and crafts.  Tacky does things in his own unique way, especially compared to the other penguins who follow the rules, march in line, and don’t ever color outside the lines.  At the campfire, there are smores and stories.  Tacky eats as many smores as possible and  tells a very scary story, Beware the bear, that ends with a joke.  The other penguins are unimpressed until a bear enters their camp that night. Tacky is asleep in a smore-induced stupor but still manages to save the day.

Tacky is great humor for kids.  They will relate to his messiness, his inattention to details, and his amazing hunger for sweets.  They will laugh along with the story, happily knowing that Tacky will save the day.  Lester manages to create a story with humor and drama but no real fear for children.  Munsinger’s art sings along with the storyline, carrying some of the more visual humor. 

This light-hearted winner is a perfect for hot summer days or cold wintry ones.  It is a book that I would read aloud to slightly older children who will enjoy the humor and the setting.  Appropriate for ages 4-6, though children as old as 8 will love the story read aloud.