PRINCE AND THE PAWPER

The Racc Pack has gotten a taste of the good life, and an upcoming Pet Expo in town provides the perfect opportunity for another scheme.

When raccoons Dusty, Scraps, and ReRe learn that the star attraction at the Expo is Prince, an internet-famous pet raccoon, they’re shocked. Humans hate their kind! But Dusty, who turns out to be Prince’s doppelgänger, smells profit: If the trio can figure out how to become celebrities, too, they’ll be set for life. Though initially suspicious, the pampered Prince warms to the pack, and they strike a bargain: He’ll teach them how to get famous, and they’ll school him in the ways of city raccoons. Dusty and Prince swap lives so each can learn how the other half lives…only to find that that might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Following the previous installment’s formula, the humor and snappy energy of the plot carry deeper undertones. Here, Cooke not only offers commentary on humans’ relationship with nature, but also considers conflicts between the privileged and marginalized—if readers look deep enough. But they need not look deep at all to enjoy the pack’s shenanigans, well served by the bright, dynamic illustrations. A heartfelt ending strongly hints at the “pawsibility” of further adventures to come. Human characters are diverse.

The latest in this entertaining series is a real treat.