by Joseph Helgerson (Author) Udayana Lugo (Illustrator)
A time-traveling woolly mammoth finds refuge and rescue at the unlikely hands of a possum and his community of woodland friends in this humorous middle grade for fans of The Secret Lake and The Wild Robot. Features charming black-and-white interior illustrations by Udayana Lugo.
When a furry, four-legged beast from the distant past appears in their park, the local animals are concerned about unwanted attention from humans. Gilly the Possum, assistant to raccoon Mayor Crawdaddy, is tasked with figuring out where the lost galumpus came from . . . and how to get him home again. While Gilly and the Mayor don't agree on much, they can agree on one thing: with a huge blizzard rolling in, the galumpus needs their help, no matter where he came from.
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When a mysterious creature appears in the Twin Cities' Theodore Wirth Park, a possum named Gilligan quickly alerts the park's cantankerous elected official, Mayor Crawdaddy the raccoon, of the assumed threat against the peaceful animal community. The beast, which Gilligan dubs a galumpus, is actually a baby woolly mammoth named Twigs from 10,000 years in the past, who, alongside a park ranger robot called Smokey 3000 from an equidistant future, was transported to the present after getting caught in a time vortex. While fleeing from three animal pelt-clad humans, who arrived along with the young woolly, Twigs and 3000 manage to evade them in the park. Since the Twin Cities animals are honor bound to help all nonhumans, Gilly and Mayor Crawdaddy, aided by 3000 and the squirrel Earl of Sussex, work together to find the time vortex's origin so Twigs and 3000 can return to their respective homes. Cozy digital illustrations by Lugo (Santiago's Dinosaurios) suitably complement spirited prose by Helgerson (Crows and Cards). Myriad complications, such as Twigs's hesitation to return home, 3000's dwindling power supply, and the persistent hunters add narrative tension and hijinks, making for an upbeat adventure that celebrates community. Ages 8-12. (Jan.)
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