RACCOON WANTS TO BE FIRST

A Spanish import delivers a lesson on boastfulness.

Since he was little, Raccoon (inexplicably blue in the illustrations) has always been skillful; he is also rather arrogant and a bit of a showoff. He cavorts in the forest and works hard all day long to be the best at everything. There is nothing he loves more than the adulation of his friends. However this balance is upset by the arrival of a “foreign fox” who seduces Raccoon’s animal friends with exciting stories of heroic actions and adventures. Raccoon is miffed by this turn of events and plunges into a big sulk when he realizes Fox is actually better than him at many things. He refuses to take part in the annual mountain climb. When he sees Duck crying because he is afraid of being left behind, Raccoon stays behind to help him. His reward comes when, forced to go slower than usual, he notices his surroundings, and on finally reaching the summit with Duck on his back, he is welcomed and praised by his friends. There is more than one way to be a hero. Salaberria’s meticulous, soft-colored pencil illustrations of a surreal desert landscape and careful depictions of the animal friends, who resemble nothing more than a group of preschoolers, have plenty of detail to satisfy a curious child.

A sweet, feel-good tale with a satisfying conclusion.