ADVENTURES AT LAKE OMIGOSH

Two boys break summer camp rules and discover the truth behind a spooky rumor in Sollers’ picture book.

Best friends Felix and Harry always look forward to activities at Camp Horizon, which include swimming and diving in Lake Omigosh. One night, the camp’s counselor gathers the boys and girls around the fire to tell them that the lake’s name refers to sightings of a giant, turtle-like creature there. (The narration reassures young readers, however, that “no one had ever been hurt by the creature—maybe just scared here and there.”) Before long, Felix and Harry are plunged into a dangerous situation: Ignoring camp regulations, they take a rowboat out on the lake, forgetting their life preservers and paying no attention to gathering clouds. A storm breaks, the waves get choppy, and “all at once, the boat broke apart and the boys tumbled into the water!” Although Sollers relays the tale with a convincing sense of crisis, a certain creature’s benign intervention quickly resolves the pair’s predicament, which hardly comes as a surprise. However, Janky’s full-page watercolor illustrations, depicting nature and diverse human characters with idiosyncratic expressions and proportions, complement the overall liveliness of the narrative.

A tale with a dash of mild suspense and peril, relatable young characters, and offbeat artwork.