Hungry Roscoe
David J. Plant
Flying Eye Books
Roscoe the raccoon has a very empty tum; he’s pretty desperate for something tasty to eat so, he does as his pal Benjy suggests and tries his luck at the zoo, where the animals, so he is told, get their daily share of fresh food. Hmm!
What’s that bucket brim full of bananas and other delectable fruits doing? If Roscoe had any doubts, then the zookeeper clears them up in double quick time …

Clearly a disguise is needed if Roscoe is to look like a deserving zoo inmate so with the help of few props, he is transformed into …

Blending in however, doesn’t go too well, so another disguise is donned and he tries his luck as …

Those squawks are fooling nobody however: time to beat a hasty retreat thinks our hungry hero. Then his luck turns, a deal is struck with some wily monkeys and after some deft key snatching and unlocking

of various doors, pandemonium strikes the zoo. And then, after a hard day’s labour rounding up all the escapees, it’s definitely NOT Roscoe in need of a feed.

This tale of mischief and mayhem elicited a cheer from those I shared it with, some of whom were eager to suggest other disguises for Roscoe so amused were they by David Plant’s droll visual humour – “sort-of slapstick”, one boy commented.

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