Who can forget their first camping trip?

Holidays, lolling days. Mom wishes for museums and art galleries. Dad talks about fancy hotels. My sister Laurie wants malls, anywhere. Duncan dreams of arcades.
And I long for Disneyland.

This year won't be like the others. There will be no paintings or fluffy towels, clothes racks, jackpots or mouse ears. Nancy and her family are going camping. Just the thought of camping is bad enough. Outhouses, mosquito bites, burnt food and lots of work what kind of holiday is that?

But from the moment their campsite is established, the family slowly begins to discover the magic of life in the wild. Nights so quiet and dark, it's like being wrapped in a blanket. Food that warms the stomach and awakens the senses. Swimming in the lake, climbing trees and lolling in the sun. And millions, no, bajillions of stars.

More time, less o'clock. That's what camping is about.

Nancy Hundal's prose seems to dance off the pages in this valentine to camping. As with her previous bestsellers, Number 21 and Prairie Summer, Camping is filled with unique expressions and descriptive language so beautifully precise, it brings with it an almost electric shock of recognition.

This is artist Brian Deines third collaboration with the author, following Prairie Summer and Number 21. And once again, his palette is filled with the warmth of sunny days and firelight and the sharp cold of water and star-filled nights. And his impressionistic brush strokes heighten the sense of being surrounded by and part of his gorgeous images.