What do you think?
Rate this book
Get Off that Camel!
From the time Meena was a baby, she’s been obsessed with camels.
This fixation only becomes stronger when she’s gifted a real camel for her birthday!
Absolutely thrilled with her new pet, Meena simply refuses to get off that camel!
This fixation only becomes stronger when she’s gifted a real camel for her birthday!
Absolutely thrilled with her new pet, Meena simply refuses to get off that camel!
24 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
22 people want to read
About the author
A.H. Benjamin
60 books7 followersA H Benjamin has been a children's writer since the mid-eighties. He has been published by Andersen Press, O.U.P, Little Tiger Press, Franklin Watts, Q.E.D and many other big publishing houses. He has written 34 books which have sold worldwide with 22 translations including Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Greek and Arabic. His books are very popular in schools and libraries. He currently ranks 345 in the UK PLR. Also some of his work has been adapted for radio, television and theatre.
He lives in Lincolnshire with his wife, Trisha. They have four grown up children and four young grandchildren who have all been an inspiration to him.
(Sources: Amazon.com author page, Little Tiger Press author page, Hachette Children's Group author page.)
He lives in Lincolnshire with his wife, Trisha. They have four grown up children and four young grandchildren who have all been an inspiration to him.
(Sources: Amazon.com author page, Little Tiger Press author page, Hachette Children's Group author page.)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 17, 2019
This adorable picture book comes to us from India. I have no idea how my local library got their hands on a copy, but I'm glad they did. Get Off That Camel! is a cute story about a little girl and her beloved pet.
Meena is absolutely obsessed with camels. So when her parents get her a real one, naturally, she rides it everywhere. Meena's having a great time... but her family, friends, and community aren't so enamoured with her cameline pal. Soon, the camel has been banned from pretty much all public spaces, and Meena's parent haul her off to the doctor to see what can be done. Predictably, the doctor says that there's nothing wrong with the girl. As for the camel... well, you'll just have to read the book and find out what happens.
The story is simple, but the illustrations are precious. A decidedly Indian flavour is infused throughout the pictures, and the characters themselves are so cute. Watching the camel try to sit at a school desk or take a bath in the bathtub is super amusing; there are so many scenarios in here where camels just don't fit, but that's what makes them so funny.
I'm not sure about the general availability of this book for North American audiences, and it barely even has a presence on Goodreads. That's a shame, because Get Off That Camel! has plenty to offer young readers... including a loving message of doing right by our animal friends.
Quotable moment:
Meena is absolutely obsessed with camels. So when her parents get her a real one, naturally, she rides it everywhere. Meena's having a great time... but her family, friends, and community aren't so enamoured with her cameline pal. Soon, the camel has been banned from pretty much all public spaces, and Meena's parent haul her off to the doctor to see what can be done. Predictably, the doctor says that there's nothing wrong with the girl. As for the camel... well, you'll just have to read the book and find out what happens.
The story is simple, but the illustrations are precious. A decidedly Indian flavour is infused throughout the pictures, and the characters themselves are so cute. Watching the camel try to sit at a school desk or take a bath in the bathtub is super amusing; there are so many scenarios in here where camels just don't fit, but that's what makes them so funny.
I'm not sure about the general availability of this book for North American audiences, and it barely even has a presence on Goodreads. That's a shame, because Get Off That Camel! has plenty to offer young readers... including a loving message of doing right by our animal friends.
Quotable moment:
December 20, 2019
My grandchildren both have favorite stuffed animal friends, one a dog, the other a bear. When we read this story they laughed and wanted to know if they could get a real animal like Meena. I reminded them that they have a dog and a cat, but they wanted their stuffies to come alive. Meena was obsessed by camels and when her parents got her a real one, she never wanted to get off it. After awhile, the camel was no longer welcome anywhere, therefore Meena wasn't either. This was a cute, humorous story. The illustrations were adorable. Seeing the camel try to sit at a school desk or take a bath in the bathtub is pretty funny. The text was simple and the kids were able to shout out the phrase, "Get Off That Camel" when it came to it in the story. Luckily a doctor was able to make a diagnosis to finally get Meena off her camel. My grandson loved the facts at the back of the book. He thought that camels spitting was pretty funny. I definitely recommend this one for families with young children, schools or preschools. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
December 29, 2020
Beautiful story about a girl and her pet camel, whom she always wanted to ride.
Lovely illustrations and color. Loved it!
Lovely illustrations and color. Loved it!
September 19, 2019
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the pictures. I loved the text. I think children would love it during storytime and would end up yelling "Get off that camel." I love the camel facts at the back. I can't wait for the library to get this one.
I absolutely loved this book. I loved the pictures. I loved the text. I think children would love it during storytime and would end up yelling "Get off that camel." I love the camel facts at the back. I can't wait for the library to get this one.
July 3, 2020
Get Off That Camel! by A.H. Benjamin, illustrated by Krishna Bala Shenoi. PICTURE BOOK. Karadi Tales Company, 2019. $14. 9788193903315
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Meena has loved camels since she was a baby. she snuggled with her toy camel, rode her rocking camel and finally got a real camel for her birthday. She stays on the camel all them time, at school, at dinner, in the tub and in bed. No matter what, she will not get off the camel. Finally mom and dad take Meena to a doctor. The doctor proclaims Meena to be in perfect health. What can be done to get Meena off the camel?
A most delightful tale of Meena and her camel. The illustrations are fantastic, vivid and colorful. I loved the story of Meena and her camel. This book is a real treasure!
Ellen-Anita, Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Meena has loved camels since she was a baby. she snuggled with her toy camel, rode her rocking camel and finally got a real camel for her birthday. She stays on the camel all them time, at school, at dinner, in the tub and in bed. No matter what, she will not get off the camel. Finally mom and dad take Meena to a doctor. The doctor proclaims Meena to be in perfect health. What can be done to get Meena off the camel?
A most delightful tale of Meena and her camel. The illustrations are fantastic, vivid and colorful. I loved the story of Meena and her camel. This book is a real treasure!
Ellen-Anita, Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
June 23, 2020
This would be great to use with that child who just won't give up their favorite thing...
From the time she was an infant, Meena loved camels. It wasn't a problem until she received a live camel as a pet and refused to get off the animal, until one day she found an excellent reason to do so.
Benjamin's text is as lively as the story - bouncing around and repetitious enough that listeners will start joining in on the refrain: "Get off that camel!". As a storyteller, this is the type of story that I gravitate to, as it will enchant a large group and let them in on the action. Illustrations by Krishna Bala Shenoi are equally lively and wonderfully colorful. They are full of clues and details of what life is like in Indian culture - with shaped archways in the house, traditional dress (including saris and salwar kameez on women and several different headcoverings on males), and peeks into the supermarket, public park, and school.
A great window into another culture form Karadi Tale, published in India. An essential purchase for communities with a large Indian population.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
From the time she was an infant, Meena loved camels. It wasn't a problem until she received a live camel as a pet and refused to get off the animal, until one day she found an excellent reason to do so.
Benjamin's text is as lively as the story - bouncing around and repetitious enough that listeners will start joining in on the refrain: "Get off that camel!". As a storyteller, this is the type of story that I gravitate to, as it will enchant a large group and let them in on the action. Illustrations by Krishna Bala Shenoi are equally lively and wonderfully colorful. They are full of clues and details of what life is like in Indian culture - with shaped archways in the house, traditional dress (including saris and salwar kameez on women and several different headcoverings on males), and peeks into the supermarket, public park, and school.
A great window into another culture form Karadi Tale, published in India. An essential purchase for communities with a large Indian population.
Recommended for PreS-grade 3.
June 1, 2019
Ever since she was a tiny baby, Meena has loved camels. She even slept with a stuffed camel and then, later, she had a wooden rocking camel instead of a horse. When she gets her very own camel for her birthday one year, Meena is thrilled and simply will not leave the camel alone. Despite the efforts of her parents and those around her to get her to dismount, she refuses, and takes the camel with her everywhere she goes. It takes a doctor who diagnoses her camel with exhaustion to persuade Meena to change her ways. While her beloved camel gets a chance to rest, it might not be for long since Meena's fondness for camels might be a family tradition, passed on to her new baby brother. The bright colors and simple text will appeal to young readers who will undoubtedly relate to Meena's obsession as well as smiling at how she dismisses the insistence of others that she "get off that camel," a phrase that is repeated often in the story.
December 18, 2019
As a parent of a camel obsessed child, this book was perfect! This story was the perfect bedtime story for my kids. We were able to be animated, they stayed engaged and were enthralled by all of the brilliant and beautiful illustrations in the story. The story was also fun for me (as a parent). I remember having a favorite stuffed animal, and then as I got older, wishing that I actually had that animal as a pet, even though I knew it was impossible. I definitely recommend this book.
June 22, 2021
My daughter grabbed this off the library shelf and had me read it 3 times. We checked it out and, 2 weeks later I have the book memorized. My pleads to read anything else falls on deaf 1½ year old ears. She absolutely loves this book. It's cute and sweet and she reads it cuddling her own stuffed camel. We're gonna have to buy it for her because otherwise I don't know how we'll get it back to the library.
September 9, 2019
Get Off That Camel was an interesting story about a girl who started with a toy camel and never let it go, then got a real camel and never stopped riding it. At first I was puzzled by the story, but it all came together in the end when the girl passed her stuffed camel onto her new brother.
September 15, 2019
If you are a camel lover like I am, you will enjoy this book! Meena just loves her camel so much, she never wants to leave him and nobody is happy about it! What will Meena do? Read this book to find out and have a surprise at the end. Camel facts at the end are a bonus!
October 3, 2019
A wonderfully silly book about a girl and her camel. She rides him everywhere and loves him more than anything. But sometimes you have to let go of things that you love...Follow this little girl and her adventures with her camel.
#Netgalley
#Netgalley
September 4, 2019
Cute story! Every child had a favorite stuffy that has to go everywhere with them! But a real live camel is just too fun! Kids are going to enjoy his story. The illustrations were a hoot!
September 10, 2019
Get Off That Camel is a cute, funny book about a little girl named Meena who, as the title suggests, just won't get of her pet camel! This is a fun story with great illustrations.
October 1, 2019
Meena loves camels.
Read
October 16, 2019Fun story and beautiful
pictures!
pictures!
November 29, 2019
#GetOffThatCamel #NetGalley Cute story about a little kid who can't get enough of a camel. I enjoyed the repetition and it kept my kids interested the whole time.
December 5, 2019
This book is a perfect diverse read that I hope reaches children and young people all over the world.
December 16, 2019
I loved this book- great readaloud
February 9, 2020
Funny and cute tale of a girl and her camel- who could really use a break! Adorable illustrations, too.
February 12, 2020
This was a nice story, but completely forgettable.
April 15, 2020
A preschool and up book about a young girl and her pet camel and her inability to do anything without riding her camel.
June 28, 2021
Ridiculously goofy in an over-the-top way that kids will love. Shenoi's comedic illustration are the icing on this silly cake.
January 30, 2023
My Indian mother bought this for my half Australian son, and he was absolutely delighted by the Indian theme. Sweet little story
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews