HUNTER & STRIPE & THE SOCCER SHOWDOWN

“Winning isn’t everything,” coach Vince Lombardi famously said, “it’s the only thing.” Or is it? Elliott’s story appreciates that “how you play the game” provides the crucial balance, not to mention the art and sustenance of the athlete, when one team necessarily has to lose. Raccoon mates Hunter and Stripe are back, and this time they find themselves on opposing sides in a game between their unbeaten teams. The competitive drive rears its head and they have a minor falling out. Hunter’s sister provides some insight: “Sports should celebrate the amazing things we can do—no matter who wins.” Hunter is mystified—it’s a big step to take—but he takes it, along with Stripe, when they witness their fathers, as coaches of their respective teams, being over-competitive goofballs. Elliott neatly separates pleasure from instinct, while Munsinger’s stumpy, zealous characters add the right degree of empathy and laughs. (Picture book. 4-7)