Adorable first book in new early reader series. Astrid is nervous to go camping but twin brother Apollo tells her it will be an adventure. Their family has a great time at first and when an intruder shows up outside their tenet, Astrid overcomes her fears and uses bravery to save her family. Good for teaching young readers about standing up to fears and expressing worries. Informational facts about Hmong and lovely illustrations. Can't wait to read the rest of the books!

A fun and sweet story about a little girl and her family going camping. I found the story to be quite charming and Astrid to be a really fun protagonist. I really liked the addition of facts and detailed photos of the popular hmong foods! A fun book to read and I am sure a lot of kids will enjoy this family adventure!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, V.T. Binadia, Picture Window Books, and Capstone for providing Neo and me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

It’s always nice to be able to sit down with someone else and share the wonders of a good book. When Neo and I found this short chapter book by V.T. Bidania, we were pleasantly surprised at how well it flowed and held our attention. Astrid and Apollo are two children who love to have fun. When their parents decide that it’s time for a camping adventure, the children have mixed feelings. Apollo is very excited to be outside in a tent and breathing in the fresh air, while Astrid is quite put-off by the idea and refuses to go unless she has her trusty glow-in-the-dark wand. Astrid was told about camping from her cousin and the list of bad things is piling up. However, with a little help from her brother, she agrees to go, hoping for the best. The family gathers in the vehicle for the long journey to the campsite. When they arrive, it’s an adventure to get things ready and Astrid is forced to face some of her fears. Working with Apollo, she discovers that some things are not as she expected and that with the love of her family, nothing is too scary to face head-on. A great piece that tells a story both of courage and about the Hmong (Laotian) community, it would be perfect for any child who has a little time on their hands.

We went into this story not knowing much about the author, the series, or the Hmong people. V.T. Bidania offers up some great aspects of how some children come up with ideas and forget to wait for things to happen. Astrid was given some memories that her cousin had, but leapt into thinking they would be the same for her. Bidania creates a story that has enough detail so that the reader can understand and care for the reader, without getting too hung up on trying to ensure every piece of backstory is known. The lessons in the book worked really well, using decent length chapters to offer some depth to the story paired with wonderful illustrations, making the reader want to push on and see just what Astrid and Apollo would experience. Adding some cultural flavour in the form of the Hmong people and some Laotian food choices added an educational aspect that Neo really liked. It made for a wonderful experience and kept us wanting to see if we could find more of the series to discover new and exciting aspects to these characters and their background. Neo asked that we read more of this series to see what other adventured Astrid and Apollo discover, opening our minds to more fun in a brief reading experience.

Kudos, Madam Binadia, for such an easy to understand book that touches on all the great aspects of a young reading experience. We will definitely be back for more!

Thank-you to NetGalley and Capstone for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m always on the lookout for engaging books with teachable lessons for the young readers in my home. The first in the series, Astrid and Apollo and the Starry Campout by V.T. Bidania accomplishes both and enhances the story with Dara Lashia Lee’s vibrant illustrations.

On the cusp of a family camping adventure, Astrid finds herself distressed over being the woods in the dark - with bears. With the help of her brother Apollo, Astrid overcomes her fears realizing they were not as big as she originally believed.

I am looking forward to reading this series and learning more about the Hmong-American community.

A solid #OwnVoices early chapter book with nice illustrations. I like that the story combines Hmong words, food and culture and a family camping trip. The book features a supportive family structure with realistic characterizations of the siblings (well, maybe with less fighting). I think kids that enjoy realistic fiction and family stories will enjoy this book.

4.5 stars

This was a really cute book with Hmong characters that had me smiling ear-to-ear. Although I am not Hmong (I am Taiwanese American), I am always happy to find books by Asian Americans that celebrate their culture and tell a good story while they're at it. This book is aimed at early readers (I'd say 1st-3rd grade) and is about Astrid and Apollo going camping with their family. I love the theme of Astrid being afraid at the beginning but learning how to face her fears through this experience. At the end, they have some discussion questions that would be great for the classroom. I love the illustrations throughout and at the end, there are facts about the Hmong, as well as a vocabulary list of popular Hmong foods with illustrations! Yum! I think this book would be a perfect addition to any elementary classroom.

Thanks to #VTBidania and #DaraLashiaLee for a lovely book, and to #NetGalley and #PictureWindowBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a super cute book. I read it with my 7-year-old and he loved it. I plan to use this in my classroom for students to enjoy. Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in addition to my opinion.

Astrid and Apollo is a fun, twin duo of characters for emergent chapter book readers. Astrid and Apollo are on their way to a camping trip. They are so excited, yet scared of the unknown. Together, they conquer their fears and end up having a great time on their trip.

Astrid and Apollo is written at an easier text level. It does bring in a lot of multicultural aspects. Their family is from Laos, so they utilize vocabulary to represent their culture. I loved this aspect, and I think multicultural books are wonderful to get in the hands of students everywhere.

It’s good to see books written for children that introduce them to other cultures. I really like that this was a simple adventure of a family going camping - something most kids can identify with. Explaining the unique foods as well as pronunciations in the glossary is very helpful as most kids (and some adults) can be off put by their names alone. We need more stories like this that show how we are all not very different from each other.
I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my volunteer review.

I really enjoyed this book! This is a kids book so it was short and simple but still such a great story. It had amazing artistry throughout the book. With beautiful colors! It was nice to see such a grounded family. To see a little girl with fears that are very normal seems like it can really help growing girls in this day and age! Most kids books now a days are fantasy or something to make them think and I don't think that is a bad thing but I do think they need to see some examples of themselves. I saw this is a series of books so I am looking forward to reading some of the others!

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital ARC. A very relatable tale about how scary it can be to try new things with a lot of support for emerging readers. Astrid and Apollo's family is Hmong and there is some fantastic backmatter as well as a vocabulary and pronunciation guide in the beginning that give cultural information. Looking forward to reading more in the series and sharing with young patrons!

I received an electronic ARC from Capstone through NetGalley.
Astrid and Apollo are twins who have their own interests. In this book, the family is going camping. Apollo is excited for this adventure; Astrid is scared and doesn't want to go. They both discover that camping is full of unexpected adventures and familiar family fun.
Bidania has created relatable characters that elementary readers will relate to. She defines some Hmong words to begin the book and provides information text at the end explaining history since the Vietnam War and provides further information about their culture. Simple to read text in a short chapter format works for intermediate readers to read independently or as a family read-aloud.
Realistic illustrations capture the fun and joy of this family's camping adventure.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is an adorable book (part of a series but this is the first book I've read in the series) about twin siblings Astrid and Apollo and their family. They are everything a family should be - encouraging, comforting, full of praise and nurturing.
Astrid is scared about going camping as she thinks there will be mosquitos, bears and she is also afraid of the dark.
My daughter and I really enjoyed this and will be reading it again and doing the activities at the back too.

When people hear the word "Hmong", notions conjured may be of the Secret War, the refugee camps of Thailand, and/or Hmong immigration. What V.T. Bidania has done here is craft an elegantly true, accessible, and different narrative of what it means to be Hmong. As a Hmong reader myself, always having wondered if a Hmong child was able to, and often times worthy of, play like roles as Harry Potter in an original fictional series, here, Bidania has masterfully shown us, that yes, it's possible. This book is specifically catered to a Hmong children audience and captures so well the nuances of the Hmong-American experience beyond war and trauma. I, for once in thirty years of existence, finally see myself and my parents on the page and what a powerful experience this is! It felt surreal at times and indescribable. The little details of the Hmong-American life was so finely and un-apologetically woven into the craft of this book, making it a heart-warming gift to all Hmong kids and adults alike. Thank you so much for this book!

Recommended for grades 2-4. I can't think of many children's books that explore a Hmong-American family--I feel like I learned something while reading this because the author includes a list of Hmong words and facts at the beginning and the end of the book. The writing is concise in a way that would make this appropriate for younger readers, and the vibrant illustrations are compelling and add to the "kid appeal."

What a relevant, exciting new series! I can not wait for my students to read it.
The introduction of the Hmong culture is especially important and this book does a fine job of bringing it to elementary students' attention. The glossary of terms at the beginning of the book along with the section at the end will appeal to their curiosity and will serve to enhance their understanding of others with whom they may not be familiar.
The positive messages in the story of family and overcoming fear will resonate with the young readers. The humor is an added fun feature. Sure to be a hit!

This is a great book for middle-grade levels and multicultural classrooms. I would even read this with my high school English Learners. There are cultural variations that make the book important when learning about the Hmong culture as well as Hmong students to identify with. The story is easy to read and understand with a connection to learning and deep conversation. The definitions at the beginning and end of the book are great for preteaching. The questions as the end are a little too easy and need to be more of a progression to higher-level thinking. This doesn't distract for the book. The content is warm and welcoming. I enjoyed this book.

I cannot even express how excited I am about this series. This is the first and only early chapter book series to feature a Hmong American family. This first book in the series introduces the eight year old twins and their family as they go on a camping trip.

Along the way, we learn about their Hmong names and their meanings. Astrid, or Gao Nou, is apprehensive about camping, but her twin helps convince her to give it a try by framing it as an adventure. Their cousin Lily had told some horror stories about a camping trip she had been on, but this camping trip is not a horrifying even though they do encounter some intimidating critters at one point.

This is a fun and entertaining beginning chapter book that anyone could enjoy. The mishaps and frights are amusing and so is their little sister and her amazingly noisy screams. My youngest would completely relate to detesting bugs and bathrooms on campouts as Astrid does.

What makes this book more than just a typical chapter book though is the inclusion of Hmong American culture. This is something that will be interesting for other readers, but for Hmong American readers this is filled with many opportunities for connections. Between the smattering of Hmong words, egg rolls, papaya salad, Thai chili peppers, Hmong sausage, and even mention of Hmong Village Mall, there is much that Hmong American students may find familiar. Even though the mall is several hours away in St. Paul, many of my students have been there or know of the mall. The back matter also includes a brief history of how Hmong people came to be in the U.S. which is almost always new information for non-Hmong folks. A list of popular Hmong foods with their descriptions follows the historical notes.

There are many Hmong Americans in our community and across Wisconsin and Minnesota along with several other locations in the U.S. and this book is one way for readers to get a small glimpse into the Hmong American culture or even see themselves reflected on the page.

Recommendation: This is a great early chapter book for any library or home with young readers and it is essential in communities where Hmong Americans are living. The story is engaging and the chapters are brief, but challenging enough for readers just beginning to read chapter books. I cannot wait to share this series with my students, my community, and anyone else I can persuade to read it.

Cute easy reader with Hmong theme. Astrid and Apollo are twins. When the family decides to go camping, Apollo is excited, but Astrid is afraid. Friends have told her there are bears, it is dark, and the bathrooms are smelly. Things go well, but when night comes Astrid hears some strange noises. When she and her father check it out, they are surprised.
Back matter talks about popular Hmong foods and there is a glossary of terms.
Good story for overcoming fears, trying something new, and courage.

That is so freaking cute!
All the family goals!
I absolutely love this book. It gave me all the right kind of feels when it comes to family and siblings.
This is a series. But I can rest assure you that you can read this as a standalone. In this one, Astrid and her family is going for camping and stay a night outside.
The cover is just eye-catching and adorable, the content illustration is no less! It gave me all the anime/animation vibes because you will know why it is so when you read this book!

This book gives me the feeling that if a child starts a book series, he or she should start from this one! It's cute, sweet, interesting and adventurous.
The family dynamics has been represented well.
The description about the Hmong people is educational. And yes, the description regarding the Hmong dishes! Wow!

The book is interactive as well.
Without a doubt, you can go for it.
As for me, I am planning to get all the books in the series.

Thank you #NetGalley for the book #AstridandApolloandTheStarryCampOut