Camping was a BIG part of my childhood vacations. From before I can remember, I've been going camping. Matt & I would do once a year camping trips with my family before we had kids and when Luke was little but schedules became too hard to coordinate and those stopped before Sam was born. Then, after a good experience in Alabama in 2021, we became much more serious about our camping in 2022. We have given up tent camping almost for good, other than in the backyard, after one disastrous trip in 2021 (all it takes it one trip with a lot of rain to ruin tent camping), we became dedicated cabin campers (the first picture in that post...we JUST restayed at that same cabin a few weeks ago, where I used that mug and wore that sweatshirt again). We've only been staying at KOAs (mostly) with annual (at least once a year) trips to our favorite Jellystone too (although I have started to look into other locations for those!).
Doing a camping book list had been on my mind for a few years but I just didn't think I had enough camping books to warrant a list. Then I went through my list...I found more than enough books. A good number of these we've read ON camping trips (that is not a coincidence). These are mostly tent camping (a good deal of camping merch and books have to do with either tent camping or trailers/RV-ing of some kind...people that rent cabins and stay with a fully flushable toilet and AC and, in our opinion, the best sites, get no love) but there is also a few about summer camp thrown in too (a whole different kind of camping!).
Some more picture book lists: 100 from summer 2017, 100 from summer 2019, 30 to kick off summer 2021, 36 summery books, 30 to wrap-up summer 2021, 30 to kick off summer 2022, {31} Picture Books that Feature Summer, and {31} Picture Books to Close Out Summer!
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C is for Camping by Greg Paprocki
Starting with a board book and one I KNOW I read my boys on our first trip to Jellystone (the rainy one). We love and have read nearly all of Greg Paprocki's ABC series, the pictures are just colorful and great. This one is all about camping, obviously. My kids know their ABCs but I will still read them this this summer.
Biscuit Goes Camping by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Pat Schories
Biscuit was a big favorite of my older son when he started reading and now my younger son will read them to me too! These are simple easy readers and there are SO MANY Biscuit books, one for nearly every occasion. I will have my youngest read me this this year.
Fred and Ted Go Camping by Peter Eastman
Fred and Ted have very different ways of doing things and that is very obvious when they set out on a camping trip together. My husband and I also have very different ways of doing things and we ALSO survive our camping trips so that still works.
Frank and Bean by Jamie Michalak, illustrated by Bob Kolar
Frank and Bean are a hot dog and a bean. Frank (the hot dog) is well prepared and has everything he needs to camp. Bean (the bean) is not prepared but does what beans do which is make a lot of noise. They end up next to each other and do not get along at first. My kids are going to love ANY book with fart jokes, no matter how subtle. (I have one kid who says he only eats baked beans because of their farting powers).
Pete the Cat Goes Camping by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
We haven't gotten huge into Pete the Cat but have read some of his books and obviously one of those was about camping. An easy reader where Pete is excited to go camping but then he learns about this mysterious being called Bigfoot.
Curious George Goes Camping by Margaret & H.A. Rey
Is camping going to go well for Curious George? Probably not. It's good to be curious but there are a lot of ways that could get you in trouble when camping. Of course, being Curious George, it'll all end up all right in the end.
Wild About Camping by Jane Whittingham
A brother and sister are excited for their first camping trip! They set out and the kids being read to will see the kids in the books having their actions copied in a way by the wild animals in the forest. Easy to read text and charming pictures.
Summer Camp Critter Jitters by Jory John, illustrated by Liz Climo
This one is obviously about summer camp but it's still a charming addition. The Critters are headed off to summer camp and they each have their own things they are nervous about. Will each different animal be made to feel at home? From a duck who can't swim to a bear afraid of noises in the woods...this isn't an easy bunch to make at home but their counselor figures it out.
Monster and Mouse Go Camping by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Jared Chapman
Monster is terrible at camping, as you might expect monsters to be. He just gets a little hungry so he eats all the food but then eventually the sleeping bags, tent, and all the other supplies too. I'd highly advise not camping with a monster but kids will get a kick out of the story.
The Camping Trip by Jennifer Mann
A young girl's first camping trip and she has some nerves about it! But she's excited to go with her aunt and cousin and have some new adventures. She follows their packing list, has snacks made by Dad, and realized that no amount of prep could have really prepared her for the work of camping. BUT...great memories anyways. (I have found this to be very true, especially the work in tent camping.)
Camp Rex by Molly Idle
I really like Molly Idle's whimsical drawings over a wide variety of topics. Just like monsters are terrible camping partners, T-Rex's might not be much better? He needs to know to stay on the trails and not disturb neighbors and build a safe campfire. And he might need help learning how to roast just one marshmallow at a time.
Four Cheers for Camping by Seymour Fleishman
This is an old book, from the 1960s maybe, but my library still has it in their collection. My kids even have come to appreciate the smell of these older books! A family goes camping and I believe they make friends with some of their camping neighbors who then tag along for a longer adventure. I haven't read it in a year! These older books tend to be wordier but they always have fantastic pictures and I like mixing them in with our newer reads too.
Camp Tiger by Susan Choi, illustrated by John Rocco
Ok, there are a lot of animals on this list I wouldn't want to camp with (and that would basically extend to ALL animals) but a Tiger might be towards the top of this list. A kid goes on a camping trip with his parents right before school starts and a mysterious Tiger shows up to keep the kid company all week. Just a regular tiger hanging out with a regular kid (nobody gets eaten). Then, just as mysteriously as the tiger appeared, he disappears when it's time to go home.
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen
Chris Van Dusen is one of my favorite picture book authors. He has a three book series about Mr Magee and his little dog Dee. In this one they are off on a camping trip together, in the rare camping picture book in which they are in a camper! Turns out, they aren't great at making sure their trailer is secure for the night before they end up at the top of the waterfall. It's a good thing their hitch looks like a marshmallow to a hungry bear...
The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp by Stan & Jan Berenstain
This is a beloved classic from my childhood and one I don't think we owned but checked out from the library A LOT. Brother & Sister get bored once school is out and their parents send them to summer day camp. They make projects, learn some things, have a camp out near a cave that changes in size. Not camping in the tent sense of it but still a classic we read a few times a summer.
The Great Indoors by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Ruth Chan
I have great affection for this one because we just happened to read it after one of the few tent camping trips we did with both boys. When a family leaves their house to go on vacation, a whole group of animals take over for their week indoors where the eat all the ice cream, watch a lot of tv, use the bathroom, and appreciate electricity. Basically the opposite of much tent camping. Especially appropriate if you do any tent camping but we do not and I still enjoy this one.
Gather Round by David Covell
Not strictly a camping book but I think every camping trip we've ever taken has involved gathering around a camp fire of some kind. This book celebrates the magic of gathering around any fire, building it, cooking food over it, sharing stories with loved ones. Perfect for summer or any camping trip.
If you have any more to add to this list, I'd love to hear about them! We always appreciate new camping books!
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