LET'S GO CAMPING WITH MR. SILLYPANTS

by M.K. Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1995

A goofy, lope-along adult who seems very childlike in his striped pants, is back in a book that gets off to a good start, but falters midway. Mr. Sillypants oversleeps one morning, missing the chance to hook up with fellow-campers. He follows their footsteps into the woods and promptly gets lost. Unsure of his next move, he eats lunch and falls asleep, dreaming he is a Goldilocks-like intruder in a pretty cottage. The three bears chase him up a tree; he awakens and climbs a tree to spot his friends. The sight of campfire smoke and the scent of cooking leads to a happy reunion, just as night falls. The plot of Let's Go Swimming with Mr. Sillypants (1986) is very similar, but that dream sequence is the author's own creation; based on Sillypants's fears, it carries the plot forward comically. Here, the reiteration of the Goldilocks tale reads like filler, making the dream a mere device. Fans will forgive that, but the last scene puzzles. Abruptly there are two styles of drawing: the cartoony Mr. Sillypants, and his friends, who look like figures from a '90s sociology textbook -- obviously multicultural and drawn in a serious, clip art style. Was Sillypants left behind on purpose, for being a cartoon? One wonders. A good premise, lost in the execution.

Pub Date: June 1, 1995

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995

Categories: CHILDREN'S