Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Nana the Great Goes Camping by Lisa Tawn Bergren

NANA THE GREAT GOES CAMPING by Lisa Tawn Bergren
SERIES: Nana the Great #1
GENRE: Children’s Picture Book
PUBLISHER: WaterBrook
RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2023
PAGES: 40

This tender, spunky picture book from the bestselling author of the God Gave Us series celebrates the ways loving grandparents help children find new adventures—and timeless wisdom—around every corner.

Summer vacations are great—and they’re even better when they include camping with Nana! Nana is great at hiking, campfire cooking, and making new friends. She encourages slowing down to enjoy nature’s wonders, learning new skills, and watching out for the discoveries that await outside everyday routines. Most of all, Nana is great at making treasured memories that will last a lifetime.

Other Books In This Series

I cannot say enough good things about Lisa Tawn Bergren’s Nana the Great books. I absolutely adored the first one, and I fell equally in love with the newest offering.

Nana is, once again, everything delightful and loving. She’s also quite brave to take her young grandchildren on a camping trip without their parents! They hike…and hike… and HIKE. They float on inner tubes down a river. They play in the mud, learn to swim, catch fireflies, and gaze at the stars. And, of course, they make s’mores! Throughout their adventures, Nana is also able to leave behind nuggets of wisdom for her granddaughter, like, “…even though the universe is really big, God holds it all in his hands, just like he holds you,” and “You would have missed this if you quit back there,” and my personal favorite, “Sometimes we just need a little break to find the strength to make it a little farther.” The author captures these moments between grandmother and granddaughter with affection and warmth, and these books inspire me to be more like Nana with my nieces and nephews (since I won’t have grandchildren).

The illustrations tie it all together in such an engaging way, too. The bright colors and relatable character depictions draw children in, and Hohn’s added details provide extra smiles for adult readers, too. Even down to the inside front and back covers which won my heart with their snapshots of the kids’ camping trip with Nana and the parents’ “vacation” by themselves. The combination of these two talented creatives – Bergren & Hohn – is a winning one, and I find it difficult to separate one from the other when it comes to the charm of Nana the Great. In fact, it reminds me of Kevin Henkes’ picture books which I also adore.

Bottom Line: I love every single thing about Nana the Great Goes Camping. From the whimsically warm illustrations by David Hohn to the affectionate wisdom of Nana herself (courtesy of author Lisa Tawn Bergren), this reading experience is not one to be missed by children or adults. I am a forever fan of Nana the Great and hope there are many more stories with her to come!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 5 stars / fabulous!

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Lisa Tawn Bergren is a bestselling author of more than seventy books, including the beloved God Gave Us children’s book series. With more than three million copies sold, Lisa’s work spans many genres, from adult fiction to devotionals to young adult novels. She and her husband, Tim, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Connect with Lisa at lisatawnbergren.com

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WaterBrook is offering a print copy of Nana the Great Goes Camping by Lisa Tawn Bergren to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Nana the Great Goes Camping by Lisa Tawn Bergren with a child in your life?