Postcards from Camp

Gr 2—5—Drawing on the common feelings of trepidation and adjustment that first-time campers experience, Taback has created a fun story told through postcards and letters sent between home and camp. He uses the epistolary format to expand his familiar illustration style, with drawings, collage elements, real envelopes, and removable letters creating a work of art that readers will want to pore over. Including plenty of puns, the book has reluctant-reader appeal, although struggling readers may be challenged by the handwritten portions of text. Each page shows the front of an envelope or postcard, with the reverse page showing the back of each piece of mail—all showcasing Taback's colorful frenetic style and inherent humor. In this book, the medium is the message. It's a wonderful gift book for Taback fans and kids who are interested in camp, but the removable pieces pose problems for libraries without an in-house collection of toy books.—Anna Haase Krueger, Antigo Public Library, WI