Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant

Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant
Buy Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Z J Cookson
Summary: An unusual picture book, using comic book style and limited colour pallet, that will appeal to children at the upper end of the age range.
Buy? Maybe	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 40	Date: April 2015
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1909263536
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Roscoe is hungry. He dreams of eating fresh fruit and fish rather than the rotten scraps he scavenges from the bins in the park where he lives. When his friend Benjy tells him that the animals in the Zoo get fresh food every day, Roscoe has to go. But he quickly finds that there’s no way the bad-tempered Zoo Keeper will let Roscoe anywhere near the food. Determined not to give up, Roscoe tries to disguise himself as a tortoise and then as a penguin. When that doesn’t work, the monkeys suggest an alternative idea with devastating consequences for the poor Zoo Keeper.

This book has a distinctly American feel and it’s difficult to believe it was written and illustrated by someone who lives in Bristol and that it’s published in the UK. Perhaps this is because of the very distinctive setting in New York’s Central Park or maybe it’s because we don’t have wild raccoons in Britain. In fact, I didn’t realise the main character Roscoe was a raccoon until the text told me about half way through. This may create a slight problem for British parents sharing this book with their children for the first time as it’s likely they too may not immediately recognise a raccoon.

The pictures are comic book in style which, when coupled with the slightly sophisticated use of words such as ‘assume’ and ‘edible’, suggest that the publishers are aiming this at the upper end of the picture book market. I suspect that this slightly older audience may well prefer what they may see as a more adult layout. The use of the limited colour pallet also adds to this more grown up feel.

While I personally prefer more vibrant pictures, the illustrations are appealing. What they lack in colour they more than make up for in humour. I defy anyone not to smile at the costumes Roscoe creates from the rubbish he finds in the bin and I can’t decide which I like the best – the tortoise created by an umbrella, four tin cans, and some orange peel or the penguin from an ice cream cone and a dirty jacket.

Overall I enjoyed this story, and particularly enjoyed Roscoe’s innovative disguises, but I did find the ending a little disappointing as what was essentially a good story seemed to fizzle out in the last couple of pages.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like One Night, Far From Here by Julia Wauters.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Hungry Roscoe by David J Plant at Amazon.com.

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