Bandits

Bandits by Johanna Wright
Illustrated by Johanna Wright
Published by Roaring Brook Press
2011

     "When the sun goes down and the moon comes up, beware of the bandits that prowl through the night." Wearing their black masks, the raccoons are ready to sneak around and do whatever they please. They'll go through our trash and they'll steal the fruit from our trees. And then they'll "head for the hills to split up the loot."
     The cast of Bandits, is a family of raccoons that will change the way you look at those nighttime creepers.  After taking the loot, they sit down as a family to have a picnic (using one of the clothing articles they've stolen as the picnic blanket). While the humans are waking up, the bandits are packing up and heading to their hideout, "laying low through the day," reading and playing at home. "But just until the sun goes down."
     The illustrations by Wright are delightful and offer many details to engage the young readers.  Cool group of Bandits.