Tony's Review of Felicity and the Racccoons

Felicity and the Raccoons by Loralee Evans is a children’s adventure story that mixes talking animals, time travel, humor, and history into something surprisingly ambitious. On the surface it feels playful and lighthearted, but beneath that is a genuine attempt to introduce younger readers to larger ideas about courage, friendship, and historical memory.

What stands out most is the dialogue. Ross in particular speaks in modern slang almost nonstop, tossing around phrases like “What the skibidi?” and “This is giving main character energy!” For younger readers this will probably feel funny and current. Adults may either find it charming or slightly overwhelming depending on their tolerance for internet era language. At times it risks dating the book very quickly, but it does give Ross a distinct personality that is hard to forget.

The strongest aspect of the story is its sense of enthusiasm. The book genuinely wants readers to care about history and heroism. Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are not treated like distant textbook figures, but as real people whose actions matter deeply to the plot. That gives the adventure a surprising amount of heart beneath the humor and fantasy.

The pacing moves quickly, almost constantly pushing forward into the next strange event or discovery. For the target audience, that works well. There is always another surprise around the corner.

There are moments where the tone shifts awkwardly between comedy and serious historical themes, and that balancing act does not always fully land. The heavy use of slang may also pull some readers out of the story. Still, the imagination behind the book carries it forward.

Felicity and the Raccoons succeed because it embraces wonder without becoming cynical. It wants children to laugh, to imagine, and to become curious about the past. That sincerity gives the story much of its charm. Be warned this is a long book for the genre.