The young raccoon is going places—even if it's in the wrong direction. When Amanda decides she wants to be a professional thief, it's up to her brother, Phillip, to keep her from a life of crime. To do so, he's going to need the help of every animal in town and a runaway train, too!

Story Behind the Story

When I was a boy, living in New York City, my parents took The New York Times. I thought it was a very dull paper. It had no cartoons, not even political ones. Its rival, The New York Herald Tribune, not only had cartoons, but ran a daily serial for kids by Thornton W. Burgess. These animal stories were illustrated by Harrison Cady. When I had the chance to read the Tribune, I always read these tales. It was a happy day for me when I learned they had also been published in book form, and I could buy them at a nearby used bookstore for twenty five cents a volume.

The point is that serialization made a big impression on me. read more