Exploring The World Of Raccoons

Explains how the raccoon has adapted from its natural home to urban living using its anatomy, intelligence, and natural skills.

The word raccoon is drawn from the Native American Algonquian language. Their term arakun roughly translates to “he who scratches with his hands.” Anyone who has found a raccoon rummaging around in a once securely closed trash container can attest to how skillful raccoons are with their front paws. In fact, they have four times as many sensory receptors in their forepaw skin as they do in their hindpaws, a ratio similar to that of human hands and feet. Samuel Zeveloff explores this trait and much more in his accessible natural history of raccoons. Written with the general reader in mind, Raccoons presents detailed information on raccoon evolution, physical characteristics, social behavior, habitats, food habits, reproduction, and conservation, as well as their relationship with humans and many other topics. The section on distribution and subspecies focuses on the raccoon’s current range expansion, and the material on their cultural significance demonstrates this mammal’s unique status in different North American cultures.

The My Favorite Animal series lets the earliest readers explore the animal kingdom. Raccoon examines the characteristics and habitat of the masked mammal in a simple way that will help children develop word recognition and reading skills. Includes a glossary and index.

Questions and answers explore the world of animals.

Raccoons look like furry bandits wearing masks. They are clever, too. When hungry, the tricky critters can even open locked doors. Look inside All About North American Raccoons to read and learn about these smart survivors. Raccoons is one of 18 books in our Animals Around the World series. Each title is beautifully illustrated with large, close-up photographs. Be sure to check out all 18!

Photographs and text introduce the physical characteristics and habits of the raccoon.

Introduces young readers to raccoons, where they are found, the dens that they live in, and how they raise their young until they go off on their own.