Book Description:
Joseph Squirrel and Dean Raccoon live in beautiful Stanley Park in the city of Vancouver. Joseph is very hardworking and industrious, while his best friend Dean is a bit on the lazy side and takes great pleasure in eating anything and everything he can find. They live a very civilized life in the park, but are wary of the 'people and pets' who seem to be increasing in number and encroaching on animal territory. Many of the Stanley Park animals live in dread of the people and pets who come into their world, and many myths about them abound. Joseph and Dean decide to find out for themselves what the world of people and pets is really like by setting off on an adventure out of the park to the city of Vancouver. The only problem is that they climb into a rowboat on the beach and end up adrift at sea, very far from the city and heading for parts unknown. They cross the sea with the help of a seagull and three friendly dolphins only to find themselves in Japan. Once in Japan, they meet a young deer named Shika who takes them to a large beautiful park in the ancient city of Nara where she lives. The two Canadian animals from Stanley Park make friends with the deer there and enjoy an unexpected experience in a very different culture, even assisting with a major crisis in the park, before attempting to return to Canada. Back at sea, the two little animals are assisted by a large whale named Winnifred to return home. They discover through their great adventure that people and animals everywhere are not so different after all. They return home with a more open minded view and more aware of the common bond that unites all living things.
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