Sterling has a menagerie of animals, but this story centers around his pet raccoon, Rascal. Sterling's mother has passed away and he and his father keep house the way they like, or don't like, to the chagrin of Sterling's married sister. One thing that always stands out in my memory is that his father let him build a canoe in the living room. A special, heart-warming story that will make any boy wish for a pet raccoon. 

There are a few references to evolution which provide teaching moments.