Welcome to the World of Raccoons

by Diane Swanson

In cities or forests, raccoon make themselves at home. These animals find all sorts of mischief. One even climbed a tall construction crane to eat scraps the operator left behind. Raccoons can scamper down trees head first, swim across ponds and use their paws to pick fruit or unscrew jar lids. This book reveals the animal behind the mask. Includes a table of contents, index, sidebars, and full of extraordinary photography throughout.

Genres: Science

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 22, 1997

About the author

Diane Swanson grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. When she was a child, she collected rocks, watched insects, went swimming, and ate ice cream cones. She could make paper dolls and play the piano. Diane held pet shows and circuses for the neighborhood children. And to make a little cash she gathered cardboard boxes and sold them to the local grocery stores. She listened to radio programs like The Cisco Kid and played cowboys. Diane also loved to read. The Secret Garden was one of her favorites and she always wrote stuff—all kinds of stuff, especially her own adventures.

Diane’s dog, Sammy, was her ever-present pal. On summer mornings they would walk to a lake and scour the shore for neat-looking rocks. At home, Sammy would sit by the piano as Diane played, pretending that she had discovered a song that could open the door to a secret passage. Diane recalls that about the only thing they didn’t enjoy together were prairie thunderstorms. Sammy would hide, while Diane loved to watch the lightning flash across the sky. She thought it especially great when a hailstorm broke while they were outside. Then she and Sammy would take cover in the garage and send messages along the clothesline to the house: “We’re stranded! Send cookies!”

Now a full-time author, Diane has made a career of writing fun and informative factual books for kids. She credits the astonishing natural world as the inspiration behind her writing. Children have always influenced her approaches to writing: the child she once was, her own two children, and all the children she knows. One tip that Diane would give to young writers is: “Write what really excites you. No matter what your subject is, if you let your excitement shine through your words, you’ll grab your readers’ interest.”

Diane has published over 70 books for children including her latest with Annick Press, Animal Aha! (Spring 2009), about some of the incredible discoveries made about animal bodies and minds. Other books written by Diane include A Crash of Rhinos, A Party of Jays (2006). The Wonder in Water (2005), is a look at just what's in the wet stuff, from the tiniest drop of sweat to the largest ocean. Tunnels! (2003)is the first in the exciting True Stories from the Edge series. While researching these real-life tunnel stories, Diane unearthed the fascinating true story of two families’ daring 1979 escape over the Berlin Wall in a homemade hot-air balloon. That incredible event didn’t fit the underground theme of Tunnels!, but Diane could not let go of the story’s powerful message of triumph over dangerous political folly. The result is her first picture book, The Balloon Sailors (2003), a creative allegorical storybook based on those inspiring true events.

Other Annick Press titles by Diane include The Dentist & You (2002), Turn It Loose: The Scientist in Absolutely Everybody (2004) and Nibbling on Einstein's Brain (Original 2001, Updated 2009), which has recently been updated and newly illustrated. Her work has earned numerous awards, including the B.C. 2000 Award, the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and the International Youth Library’s White Raven Award. Her work has also been shortlisted for the Mr. Christie’s Book Award, the B.C. Book Prize, the Red Cedar Award, the Silver Birch Award, and many more.

She was one of the original members of the Victoria Chapter of PWAC (Periodical Writers Association of Canada), a member of The Canadian Children’s Book Centre, is a member of CANSCAIP, CWILL, and was a volunteer tutor for Project Literacy.

Diane lives in Victoria, B.C., with her husband. When not working on writing projects,she is busy geocaching, ballroom dancing and raising bonsai trees. She also often visits schools and attends conferences.

Reviews

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this delightful picture book when I was searching for info on habits of raccoons like the ones who thump around and make screeching noises under my friend's trailer home at night. The full page photos are wonderful and the text informative. I think third-fourth grade readers will find the text and photos intriguing, but also helpful if they are doing school reports.

The author mentions that these smart little critters "get around by slipping through underground tunnels and pipes."

The book is attractive, factual, and inexpensive. Great for libraries as well as gifts for the young readers in your life.

_Hope Irvin Marston, author of MY LITTLE BOOK TO TIMBER WOLVES.