Exploring the World of Raccoons - Softcover

Read, Tracy C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 155407617X ISBN 13: 9781554076178

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2010

Synopsis

A glimpse inside the daily life of nature's masked bandits.

Children find the bandit-masked face and button nose of a raccoon irresistibly cute, and catching a glimpse of one in a neighborhood tree never fails to excite. Raccoons describes the natural history of these cousins of the panda bear and explains how that heritage helps them thrive in cities as well as in fields and woodlands. Color photographs of adults and kits in urban and natural settings give readers the chance to look more closely at these elusive creatures, and children will enjoy the amusing descriptions of the raccoon's antics and mischief. But Raccoons also shows youngsters why they shouldn't feed these brazen visitors and that, even though they share our cities and towns, raccoons will always be wild animals.

In the Exploring the World of... series, Firefly Books is pleased to present an exciting new nature series produced especially for young readers who are eager to learn more about the wild animals they find especially appealing. The books are packed with facts and offer outstanding value.

Clear text in large type and vivid photographs with explanatory captions describe the animals' physical attributes, and storylike narratives about their daily life -- where they live, what they eat, how they hunt, how they communicate, how they raise their young -- present a complete picture of each animal.

About this title

About the Author

Tracy C. Read is an editor and writer who has a special interest in nature and the environment. She lives in Kingston, Ontario.

Reviews

This slender book from the Exploring the World of . . . series introduces the raccoon. The discussion begins with its gradual migration, over the past 100 years, from disappearing North American forests into suburbs and cities. In illustrated two-page and four-page spreads, the book presents information on aspects of raccoon anatomy, habitat, food, seasonal cycle, care of young, and predators. Read also discusses how the raccoon’s senses, particularly its “hypersensitive paws” and the highly developed section of its cerebral cortex devoted to touch, help it survive. Color photos effectively illustrate the text. Apart from the index and list of photo sources, there is no back matter. The text is clearly written and informative, though its vocabulary would suit a high-school reader better than the elementary-school students who might be drawn to such a short, highly illustrated book. Still, capable middle-school readers looking for a succinct, informative introduction to raccoons will find it here. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 155407617X
• ISBN 13: 9781554076178
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 24