Raj and the Best Holiday Ever! is the second picture book about Raj and Dad. We really enjoyed the first story, Raj and the BEST DAY EVER!, but we absolutely love this one. It’s the perfect read for this time of year when everybody is starting to think about summer holidays.
The Story: Dad and Raj pack the car and set off on a camping holiday. The campsite is full and they pitch their little tent alongside a big one belonging to a family of bears. The bears are friendly but several times Dad refuses their help because he wants to do everything alone. But then Dad and Raj get into trouble while they are canoeing…
Dad and Raj camp, cook breakfast on a camping stove and go hiking, as do their friendly neighbours. But Dad isn’t an experienced camper and Raj doesn’t really enjoy himself especially as when things go wrong Dad refuses offers of help and the bears’ invitations to join them. It’s only when they are in real danger that Dad accepts the bears’ help which leads to a fun evening.
Raj and the BEST HOLIDAY EVER! is a lovely portrayal of the outdoor pleasures of a camping holiday, including things that can go wrong!
The relationship between Raj and Dad is really heartwarming although Raj gets frustrated with Dad’s reluctance to interact with the bear family who have three cubs that Raj could play with. The bears seem to be experienced campers, they have good equipment and know how to have fun. They are also extremely warm hearted and generous. Dad resists their company but he still wants to make sure that Raj and him have fun together.
Seb Braun’s illustrations are bold, colourful and full of energy. Raj is such a cute little tiger, we love this first spread where he is wearing his swimming ring 🙂
There are so many wonderful details in the pictures which support the simple easy to read text. The story is told by Raj whose conversations with Dad are often shown in speech bubbles. Parents and children will be familiar with the conversations on their beautifully illustrated journey “Are we there yet?” and “I spy…”! There are also the little incidents that are part of camping – needing the toilet in the night, damp matches and a leaky water bottle. And we absolutely love the fact that the bear family wear Lederhosen and Dirndls to go hiking 🙂
This really is a wonderfully summery story which conveys messages of kindness, generosity and portrays the joy of an outdoor holiday. It also has the most gorgeous endpapers showing some of the things that Raj and Dad do while they are on holiday.
Age Range: 3 +
Author / Illustrator: Seb Braun
Thank you to Templar Publishing for sending Raj and the BEST HOLIDAY EVER! It’s a perfect summer picture book 🙂
Leave a Reply