Knights of the Picnic Table (Paperback or Softback)

""Like good reporters, Mike Fry and T Lewis have revealed to us at last what lies just beyond those well-groomed hedges.""-Jim Cox, producer of the upcoming Over the Hedge movie

RJ, the mischievous raccoon, and Verne, his philosophical turtle pal, don't have time to be inconvenienced by the suburban sprawl that's washed up against their woodland home. They're in too big a hurry to embrace it and make it their own. They fly-fish for hot dogs, set up bleachers to watch big-screen TV, and sip virgin Banana Boomerangs while soaking in a Jell-O-filled hot tub. And if the joie de pirating isn't enough fun for these two bon vivants, there's always the local homeowner's association on which to inflict a coup d'etat.

In Knights of the Picnic Table, their next Over the Hedge anthology, RJ and Verne are not just spectators to suburbanity, but also to the pregnancy of Noreen, whose home also happens to be their favorite fast-food franchise. When Noreen's husband, Nate, has to deliver their baby at home, RJ and Verne, personifying noblesse oblige, lead him through the harrowing birth. Then, as newborn Baby Clara's self-appointed au pairs, they take up the crusade of teaching her the finer points of their world while squiring her about in a Harley Davidson motorized stroller.

It may not be Camelot, but there's not a more congenial spot than Over the Hedge.

Michael Fry is Professor and former Director of the School of International Relations, University of Southern California.