When Stripe arrives one day at school in a mischief-making mood and stirs up trouble in Mr. Ringtail's class, Hunter learns the consequences of peer pressure and what to do when your best friend is "bad." Full color. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Best friends and school join in Elliott's (Under a War-Torn Sky) tale for a kid-pleasing combination and Munsinger's (The Teeny Tiny Ghost) comical, sometimes poignant illustrations give this picture book a double draw. Young raccoons Hunter and Stripe are fast friends who like "all the same things" and display contagious smiles as they make the rounds at recess, share a beloved book and munch on their mutually favorite lunch of crawfish sandwiches, huckleberries and milk. But one day Stripe comes to school "in a mischief-making mood" and goads Hunter into following his bad example. When Hunter's mother finds out from her son that he felt compelled to follow his pal's lead since "We do everything together," she delivers the tale's gentle moral: "Being a best friend doesn't mean always following along. Sometimes being a best friend means you have to help your friend be his best self." The following day, Hunter takes her advice and successfully demonstrates a positive role model for his pal. Adults will surely appreciate the message about resisting peer pressure, but Stripe snaps into good-behavior mode a bit too speedily to be entirely credible and the story winds up on a sticky-sweet note. Ages 4-7.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

K-Gr 2-Young raccoons Hunter and Stripe sing together, play together, and copy one another's tricks. One day Stripe makes mischief in class, and Hunter follows along, cutting up a paper frog he's made. He grapples with this decision, imagining how much his mother would have liked to see his artwork, and cries after it is destroyed. Later, when she discovers the shredded pieces of paper in his backpack, he tells her what happened. She explains that "Being a best friend doesn't mean always following along. Sometimes being a best friend means you have to help your friend be his best self." The next day, Hunter repeatedly models good behavior every time his pal acts up. Soon Stripe catches on and acts like "his very best self." Although the story is message-driven, and the young raccoon's turnaround is unrealistically abrupt, the characters are appealing. The entertaining artwork features endearing creatures dressed in children's clothing. A solid choice, filling a need for stories about friendship and peer pressure.-Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NYCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-Gr. 1. It is easy to recognize Munsinger's personable animal characters, who always seem to sparkle with mischief and good humor. Dressed in shorts, sweaters, and sweetly striped dresses, the furry raccoons here are among her best: lively, wiggly, and sometimes wild--just like the kindergartners they're meant to represent in Elliott's story. Hunter and Stripes are best friends. They do everything together. But one day Stripes feels exceptionally silly: he throws his snack and teases, and he makes mischief instead of listening to Mr. Ringtail read a story to the class. Hunter makes mischief, too, but he really doesn't want to, and being naughty worries him. His concern: how can he be a friend to Stripes and still be himself? His wise mom comes to the rescue, telling him that sometimes being a best friend means helping your friend be his best. Not much subtlety here, but the lesson is cloaked in such wonderful pictures that it slides down easily. Stephanie Zvirin. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.