Campingland

“We could do THAT!” are the fateful words a family of four exclaims while watching a camping-themed television show. But with zero planning and haphazard packing, the family proves totally unprepared for the gritty realities of the great outdoors. After they flee the campsite, a refuge looms into view. Campingland is an “indoor camping theme park,” where every detail is clean and digitized (“Fresh towel?” offers a giant robot skunk). In snappy vignettes that suggest early 1960s animation, Burks (the Bird & Squirrel series) chronicles the marked contrast in the family’s experiences camping and at Campingland. But perfect isn’t always best. The smallest family member observes that the spot is “fake-fake-FAAAAAKE!” and Dyckman (Don’t Blow Your Top!) notes, “It wasn’t easy or pretty, but our ‘bad’ camping trip still made for good family memories. Real family memories.” Kicked out of the utopia, the family gives the real outdoors another try—and this time, they discover that preparation and savvy can create both fun and a powerful bonding experience. Blending classic camping gags with trenchant satire, it’s an ideal comedy for a virtual reality–obsessed world. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages up to 7. Author’s agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel NY. Illustrator’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (July)