The great Zoodini

Silliness reigns in this caper about a lonely, fame-hungry fox who finds belonging within his reluctantly chosen family. Ever since his first skulk--humans who adopted him as a baby--broke his heart and surrendered him to an animal rescue, fennec fox Zoodini has lived up to his self-given moniker, doing his best to escape from any zoo he's taken to. Luckily his trusted sidekick Hoppy--a stuffed rabbit whose voice only Zoodini can hear-- supports his efforts. When the duo is transferred to Twin Buttes Animal Sanctuary and Drive-In Movie Theater in Colorado, Hoppy thinks they've found a forever home with a group comprising an orangutan, tortoise, otter, flamingo, and grizzly cub who host game and movie nights. But financial troubles, miscommunications, and human family grudges waylay any potential home sweet home. Though some of the action, including Zoodini's cellphone use, strains credulity, Gardner (the Horace & Bunwinkle series) evokes belly laughs via clever naming conventions and incorporation of plot elements from musicals such as Grease. Readers will want to stay along for the ride and feel-good finale, ferried by a bighearted crew. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8--12. (July)

A fennec fox named Zoodini is determined to escape from wherever humans put him. Zoodini, who's been let down by everyone he's ever trusted, constantly attempts to break out of the zoo, where he's a misfit, and attain a life of fame and fortune. He'll be safe--and he'll never have to depend on anyone else again. The closest thing he has to family is his best friend, Hoppy, a stuffed rabbit who also functions as his conscience. When the zoo ships Zoodini off to Twin Buttes Animal Sanctuary, at first he thinks it's just another place to escape from. But--against his will--he starts to get attached to the accepting, friendly animals there. Then the kindly owner, Latine-coded Linda, is tricked by her nefarious cousin into taking a trip to Denver, leaving the animals vulnerable. Zoodini seizes the chance to manipulate the others into helping him with his biggest escape attempt yet. A further twist heightens the stakes for all the animals--and the emotional stakes rise as Zoodini continues to lie about his motivations. The schemes are wacky, and the animal characters are quirky yet endearing, brought to life by Mottram's black-and-white spotlight illustrations. Themes of connection and trust (and mistrust) are well incorporated and rooted in empathy. Zoodini's once-bitten-twice-shy characterization leads to compelling internal conflict as he's torn between playing it safe and forging real connections. Final art not seen. Adorable anthropomorphic exploits with emotional depth. (Fiction. 7-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.