Publishers Weekly Review
Sweet Briar Goes to Camp by Karma Wilson, illus. by LeUyen Pham, may be a more recognizable outdoor experience for readers. The badger star of Sweet Briar Goes to School is a newcomer at Camp Clover Leaf but makes friends easily, unlike Petal the porcupine, whose prickly anatomy keeps others at a distance-until the heroine reaches out to Petal and others follow suit. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Although Sweet Briar Skunk makes friends easily, Petal Porcupine doesn't fare as well at day camp. The other youngsters make fun of her, and this worries Sweet Briar, who knows what it feels like to be left out. Within the first week, she extends a hand of friendship to Petal, who then becomes part of the group. This kind act makes the camping experience all the better. The watercolor paintings of the animal characters work well with the story, showing facial expressions that match the mood. Pair this title with James Ziefert's Harry Goes to Day Camp (Penguin, 1994), Mercer Mayer's A Day at Camp (School Specialty, 2003), and Allan Sherman and Lou Busch's Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (Dutton, 2004) for a well-rounded look at summertime fun.-Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
K-Gr. 2. The small, odorous female skunk that survived being shunned in Sweet Briar Goes to School0 (2003) returns in a summer day-camp experience. This time it's Petal the porcupine who is ostracized. Sweet Briar comes to her rescue, remembering how it felt to be the only one of her kind. Watercolor illustrations of the appealing animals highlight their particular characteristics, and the camp setting is the perfect venue to convey the message: be yourself. The ending here is less dramatic than in the first story, but any child who has been chosen last or suffered teasing will understand and relate to Sweet Briar's feelings and Petal's predicament. --Julie Cummins Copyright 2005 Booklist
Horn Book Review
Though Sweet Briar Skunk enjoys day camp, it bothers her when the other animals exclude Petal because she's the only porcupine there. Sweet Briar is afraid her new friends will think she's ""weird,"" but eventually she approaches Petal, and the other campers follow her lead. Genial illustrations add to the good-natured atmosphere of this story about accepting differences. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.