Editorial Review

For children needing to prepare, mentally and otherwise, for first encounters with the Great Outdoors, these upbeat primers to Kids’ Guides to the Outdoors series provide both basic information and a confidence-boosting attitude. Punctuated with color photos of enthusiastic-looking young people and family groups, Seeburg’s texts send the clear message that, with a bit of advance planning, adult help, a few items of equipment (which he lists), and respect for the basic safety rules, outdoor activities can’t fail to be a blast. The topical coverage is uneven: Freshwater Fishing, for instance, covers bate- and spin-casting in some detail, but not fly fishing. Though bugs, bears, and other discomforts rate barely a mention in Camping, and Freshwater Fishing passes in silence over such topics as baiting hooks, gutting one’s catch, or certain aspects of boating safety, the new titles will be useful additions to collections serving urban or densely suburban communities.