No Baths at Camp

by Tamar Elisheva Fox, Natalia Vasquez (Illustrator)

Overview

"There are no baths at camp! says Max, when his mother starts filling the tub. But as he recounts his weeks activities, he realizes that there were many fun ways he got clean at summer camp.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512491968
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2013
Series:	Kar-Ben Favorites
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	35 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 7 Years

About the Author

Natalia Vasquez is a freelance illustrator living in Lima, where she studied painting at the local fine arts school. She works with a variety of media including pencil, ink, watercolor and digital art. She has illustrated both English and Spanish children's books.
Tamar Fox has an M.F.A. from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from the University of Iowa. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post and The Jerusalem Post. She lives in New York. This is her first children’s book.

Editorial Reviews

Max, the hero of what is really a clever exercise in reverse psychology, could just be the secret weapon that parents (and Jewish educators) are looking for in convincing recalcitrant kids to give Jewish camp a try. Resisting his mother's attempts to get him into the tub, Max regales her with stories of the special activities he had Sunday through Thursday at camp-none of which culminate in a bath ("On Wednesdays we go canoeing in the lake. The water is green and muddy and sometimes we catch frogs...but there are NO BATHS AT CAMP!") So does Max ever take a bath at camp? Sure, in preparation for Shabbat -24 hours that are so magical in so many ways that even the most defiantly schmutzy (dirty) kid would deem the occasion bath-worthy. Vasquez's (Ten Little Apples) collaged scenes of non-stop camp life, created from cutout drawings and photographic elements (a blazing campfire made of a photo of flames is particularly impressive) bring to life Fox's cheery but literal text, and lend an appropriately arts-and-crafts feel to the pages. Brimming with what veteran Jewish campers will immediately recognize as ruach (spirit), this book should prompt many youngsters to ask, "Am I old enough to go?" Ages 3-8
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Publishers Weekly

"Max insists that he never took a bath the entire time he was at summer camp.

When Mom announces bathtime, Max gives her a complete account of all his adventures, with lots of grimy details, from Sunday to Saturday of each week. There’s rock climbing, theatrics, marshmallow roasting, canoeing and swimming, painting and barefoot dancing. This particular camp focuses on Jewish traditions. They perform scenes from the Old Testament, dance the hora, and on Friday night observe Shabbat, lighting the candles, saying the blessings and eating a special meal. Saturday is spent quietly with walks, stories and conversations until sundown, when they say goodbye to the sweetness of the Sabbath. Max narrates his story in simple descriptive language and syntax, joyfully emphasizing that there were no baths on the schedule. Vasquez’s double-paged, bright, textured illustrations clue readers into Max’s misleading assertions. He may not have taken baths, but there he is washing at the water pump, splashing in the spray from the hose, having a jolly water-balloon fight and happily taking a shower and shampoo before sundown on Shabbat. Of course Max takes his bath, albeit reluctantly, obliging his Mom. Fox maintains a light, nonpreachy touch, weaving details of children’s participation in Jewish traditions with the universal fun of summer camp.

Charming, funny and appealing." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Max insists that he never took a bath the entire time he was at summer camp. When Mom announces bathtime, Max gives her a complete account of all his adventures, with lots of grimy details, from Sunday to Saturday of each week. There's rock climbing, theatrics, marshmallow roasting, canoeing and swimming, painting and barefoot dancing. This particular camp focuses on Jewish traditions. They perform scenes from the Old Testament, dance the hora, and on Friday night observe Shabbat, lighting the candles, saying the blessings and eating a special meal. Saturday is spent quietly with walks, stories and conversations until sundown, when they say goodbye to the sweetness of the Sabbath. Max narrates his story in simple descriptive language and syntax, joyfully emphasizing that there were no baths on the schedule. Vasquez's double-paged, bright, textured illustrations clue readers into Max's misleading assertions. He may not have taken baths, but there he is washing at the water pump, splashing in the spray from the hose, having a jolly water-balloon fight and happily taking a shower and shampoo before sundown on Shabbat. Of course Max takes his bath, albeit reluctantly, obliging his Mom. Fox maintains a light, nonpreachy touch, weaving details of children's participation in Jewish traditions with the universal fun of summer camp. Charming, funny and appealing. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews