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Pictures from Our Vacation

Book Summary

Reviewed by Patricia Tauzer

Told from the perspective of the young girl, the story evolves as the girl settles into the family adventure. Admittedly, she starts off expecting the trip to be fun, which for many families is not the case. She is patient through the two-day ride, imaginative when they spend the night in a strange motel, and cooperative while following around her nostalgic father as he tries to find an old swimming hole he swam in as a kid. And she is intrigued ... by people she sees at the lake, by the cousins who fill the family farmhouse, the relatives she never knew, and the stories they tell. In the end, she realizes that it's hard to take pictures that show those kinds of memories. She will just keep them in her mind.

Is It Any Good?

5

Anyone who has taken a road trip with kids knows it can be tricky. Many parents resort to giving their kids movies to watch, or activities to keep them busy. The mom in this case gives her kids cameras and journals. What a great idea! After a few learning mistakes (a photo of the girl's feet, another of the back of Dad's head), the kids get the hang of it. And looking out the window, taking photos of things, keeps them involved in the actual trip, rather than simply living through it. Interestingly, the more involved they get in their vacation, the fewer photos they actually take.

This is a remarkable, multilayered book full of unique pictorial details, and set up much like a scrapbook with maps, captioned photos, thought bubbles, and journal notes as well as a continuous narrative. Author Lynne Rae Perkins has written and illustrated several award-winning picture books, And, in 2006, she won the Newbery Award for her novel Criss Cross.

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