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Oakley the Squirrel: Camping 1, 2, 3!: A Nutty Numbers Book

Oakley the Squirrel: Camping 1, 2, 3!: A Nutty Numbers Book

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Oakley the Squirrel: Camping 1, 2, 3!: A Nutty Numbers Book

Author(s)

Nancy Rose

Publisher

Workman Publishing

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

May 09, 2023

ISBN

978-1523518319

Buy This Book

Real squirrels, real photos! Learn your numbers with Oakley the Squirrel in this charming counting book featuring Oakley and friends on a camping trip.

Oakley the Squirrel: Camping 1, 2, 3! is a counting book like no other. Oakley helps readers learn to count as he experiences the fun of a camping trip. Every page features photos of real squirrels! Photographer Nancy Rose lures squirrels into her photo frame using strategically placed peanuts, so they appear in squirrel-sized sets that replicate human life, complete with tents, s'mores, campfires, and more. It's irresistible!

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Adorable Counting Book!

September 06, 2023

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

It's summer vacation and to Oakley the Squirrel, that means it's time to go camping. But he and his friends have to make sure they've packed everything they need, so they take the time to count each item. All are pertinent things needed for a fun camping trip, and everything is mini and squirrel-sized which is just too adorable.

This book will help teach young children how to count to ten while encouraging outdoor activities. The format is set up perfectly to hold a child's interest. From the bright font for the items we're counting, to the strategically placed squirrels, to the easy flow rhyming scheme, it kept my daughter smiling as she counted. While she already knows how to count, she still loved testing her skills and pointing to each item. I love the camping theme and how it encourages children to use counting when planning activities.

Final Verdict: I would recommend this to younger children who are learning to count and enjoy animals and camping.

Bethany Wicker, Listings Manager & Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 840 reviews

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The Cutest Board Book EVER

April 30, 2023

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

5.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Possibly the best money I have ever spent for my school library was to buy a copy of Rose's 2016 The Secret Life of Squirrels. Rose entices real squirrels to pose in her back yard for her books, and makes all of the tiny props herself. Even middle school students find her books fun and fascinating, and now even the youngest readers can count along with Oakley the squirrel.

Oakley and his friends are on summer vacation, and go camping at the lake. They take an adorable red and white camper filled with coolers, bedding, equipment to go fishing, and plenty of food (like barbecued cashews!) to eat. They go merrily through their day until it is nighttime, and finish their relaxing day with roasted marshmallows and a cozy tent for sleeping.

Good Points

Children will enjoy looking through the pictures to find all sorts of small details, and adults will marvel at Rose's artistry. How did she get the squirrel to sleep in the sleeping bag? What are the tiny, roasted marshmallows made of? I spied part of an onion bag serving as a volleyball net, and popsicles sticks made into a picnic table. If you haven't seen her work, it is hard to describe just how brilliant her tableaus are!

The verse is also very good, and I'm quite picky about rhyming and meter. Counting books are a great way to get young readers ready for school, and I appreciated that the pictures at the back of the book that show the number in large font along with the appropriate amount of items. This is useful in reviewing numbers and laboriously counting each one, which really helps with number skills.

Squirrel books are always fun, and this board book is an excellent way to introduce Rose's work. Oakley begs to be paired with Gundersheimer's How Many Squirrels in the World?, another counting book, as well as Zion's classic Harry's Squirrel Trouble. Older readers will enjoy Ehrenberg's Pearl and Squirrel series to round out their reading; just be prepared to provide a lot of nuts for snacks. You might even need to spend a lot of time counting squirrels in the wild.