A sweet raccoon character stars in this endearing tale of unexpected friendship from the creator of the bestselling Skippyjon Jones Dewey Bob Crockett is a durn cute raccoon who lives by himself in a house filled to the brim with the wonderful objects he collects. Buttons, wheels, furniture and bricabrac adorn his cozy quarters and keep him busy as he finds and fixes, turning trash into treasures. But there’s something missing from Dewey’s collections—a friend! He tries gathering up some critters and bringing them home in his shopping cart, but that doesn’t work out so well. In the end, a friend does come Dewey’s way, and, with a little DIY help from this clever raccoon, returns again and again. Combining art and heart with storytelling genius and a lilting twang, Judy Schachner's tale of unexpected friendship will delight readers young and old.  PreS-Gr 2—For a young raccoon, Dewey Bob has loads of character. Despite a plethora of hobbies and amusing predilections, from collecting buttons to being "as clean as the beans are green," and a knack for "decoratin'," Dewey Bob finds himself lonely when he strikes out on his own. Fortunately, his inventiveness comes in handy when he meets a kitten who can't walk, scoring him a friend. With fresh colors, handwritten lettering, and lush textures reminiscent of Melissa Sweet's work, the mixed-media illustrations fairly glow with endearing whimsy. Inspirational quotes and lively poems are integrated deftly into the images. However, the charm of the illustrations doesn't fully extend to the text. The story has a few too many ideas in it to fill out a traditional story arc, and the writing is a tad rambly. The down-home country dialect may delight listeners with its playful phrasing but may also pose challenges as a read-aloud. VERDICT This sweet, homespun (if rather long-winded) story will appeal to Schachner's many Skippyjon Jones fans and will introduce a new character to the canon.—Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI "With his tiny, earnest eyes, and huge head, Dewey is downright adorable, and Schachner’s skillful layering of watercolor and pencil textures with photo collage gives the story a homespun, scrapbooked feel." — Publishers Weekly “The mixed-media illustrations fairly glow with endearing whimsy… This sweet, homespun…story will appeal to Schachner’s many Skippyjon Jones fans and will introduce a new character to the canon.” — School Library Journal   “The illustrations are captivating…they are a joy to sit and gaze at, making the story so much more enjoyable. All ages can enjoy Dewey Bob, his antics, and his adventure.” — School Library Connection   "Schachner’s folksynarrative, full of charming couplets in speech bubbles from Dewey, is well matched by her delightfullyjumbled collage illustrations, combining snippets of paper and photographs with soft, gentle watercolorfigures. Little ones will love poring over Dewey’s collections to find treasures, and the heartwarming text...makes for a spirited read-aloud."   —Booklist Best known for her Skippyjon Jones series, Judy Schachner has illustrated many of her own stories, including the much-lovedThe  Grannyman  and its companion book,  Bits & Pieces . She has also illustrated stories by others, including  I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie  by Alison Jackson and  How the Cat Swallowed Thunder  by Lloyd Alexander. She lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.