Hajimete no kyanpu

When little Naho hears that neighboring grown-up Tomoko is taking some older children to go camping by the river, she shouts, “I’m going too!” The big kids scoff at her, saying, “Little kids can’t go camping,” but Naho is persistent, and eventually she is allowed to go as long as she promises to keep up with everybody. On the camping trip, her bag is heavy, but she carries it determinedly; she gets soaked in the river, but doesn’t cry; she finds and carries big branches to use as firewood; and then, at night, after everyone is asleep, she gets out of the tent and goes to pee in the dark all by herself.

    This book conveys all the excitement of camping as a special, thrilling outdoor experience from a child’s perspective. Naho cooks rice with the bigger kids and adults in a mess tin, eats watermelon cooled in the river, and gazes at the starry sky, even spotting a shooting star. The reader feels the fun of this shared experience for all ages in the great outdoors. The smile on Nao’s face when she declares that she successfully camped “just like the big kids” leaves a lasting impression.

    The book was illustrated by its author, who is also a picture book artist. Simple and using yellow for emphasis, they aptly depict the events of the camping trip and Naho’s feelings as she strives to prove herself to the others. Readers face the same challenges as her, overcome the same uncertainties, and, in the final scene of a delicious breakfast, will surely taste the same sense of satisfaction and achievement. (SJ)