From the Publisher
"A truly wonderful book that not only pulls readers in with a cute tale about animals but also incorporates activities that mimic the lives of raccoons—all while being educational! . . . This is truly a perfect blend of education and fun with the addition of adorable illustrations." —SLJ
"Exceptionally adorable . . . Part of a series that spotlights familiar North American animals, the book deftly connects natural human children’s activities to raccoon behaviors without engaging in anthropomorphism. . . . Spare text on each page is accessible for emerging readers, and the full-color art’s soothing palette makes this ideal for a bedtime story. . . . Naturalistic and charming." —Kirkus
"The Meet Your World series, which opened with You Are a Honey Bee! and You Are a Raccoon! [and You Are a Robin!], offers young children information about animals that they might see in their yard or neighborhood park. The engaging, second-person narrative provides intriguing facts without becoming too detailed, while further information [appears] in the back matter." —Booklist
School Library Journal
01/20/2023
K-Gr 4—Thompson has crafted a truly wonderful book that not only pulls readers in with a cute tale about animals but also incorporates activities that mimic the lives of raccoons—all while being educational! The book walks readers through the adventure that is growing up as a raccoon, from when it is born to adulthood. Along the way are examples of activities the raccoon might do at that stage of life alongside examples of kids behaving in a similar way. Included are facts about raccoons, why they are important, and of course, why it's equally important for kids to not interact with them. This is truly a perfect blend of education and fun with the addition of adorable illustrations. VERDICT All libraries will want to include this in their children's collections.—David Roberts
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-25
A raccoon grows from baby to adult.
The second-person narration puts young readers in the position of the raccoon, born blind and deaf and only able to “sniff! Wiggle! Whine!” Further helping little ones to envision themselves as the raccoon, spotlight illustrations on the recto of each double-page spread show diverse children naturally engaging in the same activities as the animal. The spare text on each page is accessible for emerging readers, and the full-color art’s soothing palette makes this ideal for a bedtime story. From initially just snuggling and sleeping, the raccoon grows and begins to chatter, crawl, climb, and feast on berries and acorns as well as earthworms, beetles, and snails (while the illustrated children eat things like carrots, bananas, and pasta). Once winter comes, the plump raccoon family slumbers away, waking “every few weeks to look for food.” When spring arrives, the baby raccoon is now an adult ready to move out into a den of their own. The narrative is followed by lovingly written raccoon facts and activities for kids who want to pretend to be raccoons. The author warns that though they’re cute (and the rounded, charming creatures depicted in the illustrations are exceptionally adorable), raccoons are wild animals and need to be left alone by people and pets. Part of a series that spotlights familiar North American animals, the book deftly connects natural human children’s activities to raccoon behaviors without engaging in anthropomorphism. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Naturalistic and charming. (Informational picture book. 4-7)
