Chester Raccoon and the Almost Perfect Sleepover

PreS-Gr 1—The creators of Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon and its sequels have collaborated on a title that offers reassurance to young ones eager to attend their first sleepover. Initially, the plot setup is confusing because Mother Raccoon calls the adventure an "overday" rather than a "sleepover," as in the title. Youngsters familiar with the kissing hand from the original book will see Chester's mother repeat her parting gesture as she leaves her son with Mrs. Opossum for his first whole day away from home. While Chester has a perfectly enjoyable time with Pepper Opossum and all his other friends, when they pause from all the activities to take a nap, Chester can't sleep, no matter how hard he tries. Wise Mother Opossum then asks him if he'd like to go home to his own hollow. Adults and children will recognize the excellent examples of politeness and good manners. One minor quibble is the unusual side story about Sassafras Skunk, who makes "stinky puffs," illustrated with a hazy purple cloud, when she is nervous or giggly or sleepy. This departure from the plot detracts from the main focus of the narrative.