Hot Dog! Camping Time

And now for something completely different. My seven year old grand-daughter asked me to borrow Hot Dog 5 Camping Time from the library for her to read. She had read a number of other books in the Hot Dog! series by Anh Do. Together we checked the online library catalogue and found that all the copies were out so I placed a reservation. Several days later I collected a copy from the library for her to read.

Anh Do is well known as a comedian and artist and for writing the best-selling book, The Happiest Refugee. More recently he has written several series of books for younger readers including the Hot Dog! series which currently consists of 16 books. The books in this series are illustrated by Dan McGuiness.

Hot Dog and his friends Lizzie and Kev enjoy a camping adventure on rainbow Island. They have a lot of fun and also learn a number of skills including chopping wood, tying ropes, listening to sounds in the bush and most importantly resilience. These skills were put to good use when they became lost on the return trip and had to find their way home. 

The book is easy to read and full of humour and jokes that young children enjoy.

The happiest refugee: a memoir

A list of popular non-fiction books borrowed from the library during 2011 would have to include The happiest refugee by Ahn Do. When he was two Ahn's family left Vietnam on a small overcrowded boat, survived two encounters with pirate boats before arriving in Malayasia and then travelled to Australia. 

This account of why a Vietnamese family needed to leave their country and their struggles to make a new life in their adopted country is a story of determination and survival. The importance of family, including extended family, is evident throughout the book particularly Ahn's relationship with his mother who brings up three children as a single parent and his reconciliation with his father who left the family when suffering depression relating to events in Vietnam. 

The book also includes many amusing accounts of how Ahn, the eldest in the family, attempted to earn money to help the family's finances as well as the story of how Ahn became an actor and a comedian. Reading this book there are events that make you cry coupled with many sections that make you laugh out lound. Overall there is a feeling of optimism, hope plus a determination to have a go.  I am glad that I finally had the opportunity to read this book.