A family – organised mum, boyish dad and quirky child – turn their backs on social media and city life to go glamping. It could be the set-up for a multivitamin ad, but Joe Decie’s first graphic novel is a low-key ode to the precious little nothings of family life. This is a warts-and-all vision of the weekend away – alarms are missed, directions mangled, fires don’t start and bedtimes lead to insomnia. Other than these small calamities – and a very British downpour – there’s not much to report. The trio make it to their woodland hut, wander around gathering sticks and climbing trees, go to the pub and walk along a stark beach before it’s time to go home again. But Decie is a fine chronicler of life – the nonsensical conversations, boredom, in-jokes, little kindnesses and familiar anxieties. His drawings have a lovely sense of how people move and talk, whether they are hunched in the twilight, bickering at amiable cross purposes or staring quizzically at a heap of reluctant wood. Collecting Sticks doesn’t set the pulse racing, but it builds into an affectionate, nuanced tale of a weekend away.
• Collecting Sticks is published by Jonathan Cape. To order a copy for £14.44 (RRP £16.99) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.
