2022-02-04
An opossum’s yearnings for fame spark a series of misadventures for his human and animal friends in this middle-grade novel.
Oswald is convinced that he’ll be a celebrated opossum one day. He lives in suburban Mount Rainier, Maryland, with his human best friend, 10-year-old Joey Jones. Unlike most people, Joey can understand “Animal” and knows exactly what Oswald wants—to be featured in “Animal Watch,” a regular Washington Postcolumn. The opossum can easily perform the “silly things” other animals do that make the newspaper. Oswald, for example, with help from Joey and the boy’s generally indifferent cat, Melvin, sneaks into the local library after hours so the staff will catch the opossum reading a book. Sadly, no one at the Postseems interested, and the more attention-seeking ploys Oswald concocts, the more trouble he stirs up. It gets to the point where Joey’s mom, Ann, who already won’t allow Oswald in the house, implements a no-opossum rule. Oswald explores other neighborhoods and makes new friends, from a trio of good-natured but rambunctious raccoons to Pixie, an oversensitive groundhog who needs glasses. They willingly go along with Oswald’s elaborate plans, such as helping Joey with his upcoming school project. When one of those schemes takes an unexpected turn, it’s Ann who lands in hot water. Oswald, desperate to once again be part of the Jones family, comes up with a way to clear Ann’s name. Now, the opossum, who usually thinks only of himself, has the chance to do something wonderful out of sheer compassion.Pascoe’s endlessly enjoyable story overflows with sharp characterizations, often paralleling human and animal characters. Joey has abandonment issues stemming from his dad’s leaving and his best friend’s recently moving away. This aligns the boy with Oswald, the sole litter survivor, who lost his mother, and even Pixie, whose adorably named husband, Grapejuice, has apparently vanished. The tale’s educational value is unquestionable; Oswald thinks he’s better than others, an attitude he gradually learns hurts and demeans the animals he grows to respect. The opossum uses “big words,” like hyperbole and liaison, with enough context for young readers to boost their vocabularies. The author wisely treats Animal as a language that Joey and a few others understand. This makes it easy to sympathize with the animal cast, as it’s often the humans who are confused, such as the jumpy school faculty unaware of Oswald’s good intentions in Joey’s classroom. Animals, meanwhile, confidently insert themselves into the human world, skillfully using such tech as computers and cellphones. Much of the comedy in this lighthearted book comes from descriptions of furry and feathered characters’ acts. In one scene, friends enjoy a bite as they commiserate with Oswald—raccoon Mo stretching his tiny arm into a jar of pickles and Tessa, a sweet, outgoing rat, climbing into a potato chip bag. Kolesnikova graces the pages with soft black-and-white artwork that practically glows. The illustrations boast stunning definition, from Oswald’s fur and infectious smiles to the reflection from Pixie’s cat-eye glasses.
A warm, entertaining tale of friendship that will appeal to readers of all ages.
