Oswald, the Almost Famous Opossum

When a goose crashes onto their roof, the lives of Oswald, a fame-seeking opossum, and his best human friend, shy, ten-year-old Joey, are turned upside down. Oswald's persistent attempts at fame alienate all his friends, human and animal, so he tries to atone with a big party. But plans go awry when another animal falls into a pot of vegetarian chili, and Joey's mother, Ann, is mistakenly arrested for animal cruelty. For once, Oswald thinks of someone other than himself. He enlists three raucous raccoons and a sarcastic cat to make a video to prove Ann's innocence. With Joey's help, it goes viral. All charges against Ann are dropped, Joey finds his feet with new friends, and Oswald gets an offer from Hollywood. But will fame make the opossum happy, after all?

Sara Pascoe comes to writing after a career in psychology, where she had many wonderful experiences, from the chimp house to the halls of Congress. Originally from the United States, she moved to Great Britain in 2004 with her husband, David, to be nearer his family. They now live in Bournemouth, on the southern coast of Britain, where they run a B&B for English language students.Varya Kolesnikova, originally trained as a teacher of Russian language and literature, could not contain her passion for storytelling through pictures and has become an award-winning illustrator. Her projects include everything from angels to biology, with a particular flair for bringing animal characters to life and into our hearts. You can find her work on www.behance.net/paskamarja