I’m working on a virtual school visit, where I’ll be talking about the process of bringing a book from idea to printed copy, using WILD ABOUT CAMPING as an example. I’ve been digging through old photographs in search of some visual storytelling aids, and I thought I’d share a few delightful examples with you!
Camping was a major part of my childhood. My parents and I regularly drove and tented throughout Washington and Oregon states, and through southern British Columbia and Alberta. We’d pack up our little Mazda Protégé with everything we’d need for a week or two at a time (including an assortment of audio cassettes for all those driving holiday sing-alongs), and off we went.
They were simple, affordable holidays (money was sometimes a bit tight growing up), but they were (almost) always happy ones – as you can imagine, camping throughout British Columbia and Washington meant enduring more than a few soggy, rainy weeks, which can put a damper on even the best vacations.
Camping meant marshmallows roasted over a roaring fire, bike rides around the campground, late-night runs to the bathroom, making friends with other children on holiday, and of course, swimming! I was never happier than when I was swimming in a pool, river, lake or even the mighty Pacific Ocean.
While the children in WILD ABOUT CAMPING enjoy bobbing and floating on the lake like peaceful loons, most of my camping holidays took place on the coast, and that’s a picture of young Jane gleefully swimming in the freezing cold Pacific Ocean. A splashing, sploshing dolphin!
WILD ABOUT CAMPING is a joyful celebration of carefree childhood summers spent with the family, when the water never seemed too cold and the long, hot days seemed to stretch on forever. I might be shivering through a polar vortex at the moment, but in my heart I’m splashing in the ocean and roasting marshmallows on that crackling fire.
Did you go camping with your family growing up? Are you a camping-fan today?