TROUBLE FINDS PLUM!

A peacock’s kindheartedness and cleverness prove immune to cynicism.

Undaunted by rain, peppy Plum is the only zoo inhabitant around when a bedraggled raccoon shows up. Plum’s ordered to bring food—pronto. All that he can find is a snack bar that a visitor dropped in the tiger pit, and he cleverly obtains it for the raccoon. Despite others’ doubts that the raccoon is really Plum’s friend, the trusting bird just wants to help. Then more raccoons show up, and Plum seeks help. Peahen Meg scorns raccoons as “scavengers and thieves” and gives them a dressing-down, but that doesn’t dissuade the interlopers. Text and illustrations make clear that the peacocks are at a disadvantage, both in terms of size and number. Power makes the raccoons hungry for more, and their rudeness becomes bullying. But with help from Itch the ningbing, Jeremy the cat, and, naturally, Plum, “brains and heart” eventually save the day. A couple of wordless stretches of sketches provide a visual break, but many smaller vignettes add to the drama of the story and bolster the characterization (and add evidence that not all raccoons are alike). Pacing is smooth, and the plot moves smartly. Like other series installments, this tale demands and develops a certain level of reader sophistication to see through the sarcasm, assumptions, and bluster.

Expert plot and character development take this latest in the series up a notch.