Sadie, Ori, and Nuggles Go to Camp - Tapa dura

"Sadie and her younger brother Ori return in a fifth story filled with more sweetness than Judaica. The two delightful youngsters - very recognizable thanks to the same illustrator as the other books - are off to Jewish sleep-away camp. Three items provide the entire Jewish content: the setting, a 'shalom' greeting, and a statement that at camp Sadie does not have to explain things as she does at school where she is the only Jewish child in her class. The fiction is soundly mainstream and soundly positive. This picture book's lively text and sprightly pictures present a predictable ending that works for readers' hearts and the plot. Sadie looks forward to seeing her camp friends again, while Ori, attending for the first time, is nervous about not sleeping with his favorite stuffy, Nuggles. Torn between sleepless nights and being called a baby by his peers, Ori tries his parents' suggestion only to decide Nuggles must go with him. When his counselor takes him to his cabin he finds all his bunkmates have stuffies too. While not as cute as Tamar Fox's No Baths at Camp (AJL Reviews, Feb./Mar. 2013), this quiet story is recommended for its warmth, its understanding of human nature, and for its inviting delivery of Jewish camp for the very young about to sleep away for the very first time." -- AJL Reviews

"Sadie loves sleep away camp and hopes her younger brother Ori will love it, too. The activities are great and being Jewish at camp is comfortable and fun. Ori looks forward to his first summer there, having heard so much about it from Sadie. But one thing weighs on his mind - whether to bring Nuggles, the stuffed animal he sleeps with at night, or to leave Nuggles home. Will he miss Nuggles and be unable to sleep if he doesn't bring him? Will he be teased and look like a baby if he does? After much deliberation, Ori decides to bring Nuggles along and, to his vast relief, finds that many other campers have their versions of Nuggles, too.

This short picture book portrays a realistic look at a natural concern. It is amusingly told and accompanied by colorful, whimsical illustrations which make camp look like lots of fun.

Recommended for ages 4-8." -- Jewish Book World
"Experienced camper and older sister Sadie helps younger brother Ori get ready for his first year at sleep-away camp.

Sadie loves summer camp, a place where she feels at home with her Jewish friends, acting in plays, playing sports, singing around the campfire and enjoying ice cream sundaes. Seven-year-old Ori will attend this year and, while packing, becomes concerned about taking Nuggles, the favorite stuffed animal he has slept with since birth. Though Sadie assures him that bringing Nuggles will be OK, Ori worries that 'the kids will think I'm a baby.' After a trial night at home without Nuggles, Ori cannot sleep and decides to pack the stuffed zebra. Trepidation turns to a welcome surprise when he arrives at camp and sees his bunkmates, each cuddling or sitting with his own beloved 'stuffy.' Korngold's talent for taking stressful childhood moments and developing them into simple yet satisfying storylines continues to be in evidence in this fifth installment of her Sadie and Ori series. Though briefly alluding to the Jewish camping experience through one double-page spread highlighting a Shabbat candle lighting and the occasional yarmulke, this should serve most new and first-time campers well in providing a positive response to the anxiety that inevitably accompanies excitement at leaving home. Gentle, loosely defined paintings depict a middle-class home and woodsy camp.

Children will appreciate the sweet reassurance on display here. (Picture book. 6-8)" -- Kirkus Reviews

When older sister Sadie and her first-time camper brother Ori prepare to spend the summer at Jewish sleep-away camp, Ori wonders if he should bring his beloved stuffed animal Nuggles.