Raccoon Wants To Be First

PreS-Gr 2—In this Spanish import, Raccoon strives to be the "fastest and slipperiest animal in the forest." Not content at being second best, he is always the first to find a four-leaf clover and regularly earns top points at "guessing cloud shapes." When Fox arrives on the scene and regales the other animals with his daring deeds of strength and courage, Raccoon's status is threatened. Irritated over the attention this interloper receives, Raccoon sulks on the sidelines and refuses to participate in the mountain-climbing excursion. He reconsiders his hasty decision and decides to take the long way to help a friend. Despite not arriving at the summit first, Raccoon realizes that this slower pace affords him new pleasures and experiences. Salaberria's colored-pencil illustrations show the blue-hued Raccoon loosening up and relaxing under a waterfall in his underwear. Unfortunately, there are some awkward sentences in the text ("He plays games with his eyes closed and his tummy full, to later easily defeat his opponents"), and at times the narration jarringly flips between past and present tenses ("Raccoon remained in the forest, but he was not the only one. Duck is crying beside the river.").