Two boys camping out in the backyard have a war of words and one-upmanship. One claims to be able to stay out all night in the dark, and the other says he can do the same with the added horror of spiders hanging over his head. Competition escalates, each actually becoming more frightened, until both are scared back into the tent by a little white dog . . . er, a big, hairy, kid-eating monster. Birdseye’s text will probably strike a chord and tickle the funny bone of many young “brave” campers. Long’s wild acrylic-and-colored-pencil illustrations show the menacing, monstrous wildlife crowding around the boys as their boasting mounts. The muted pallet of rusts, aquas, and tans, fitting since it’s dark, might put some off, but the whole is a nice addition to the fear-of-the-dark and camping canons. (Picture book. 4-8)
