Funny perhaps to fans of Scarry's overbusy illustrations and slapstick situations, but pretty forced and foolish to the rest of us. Mr. Raccoon's Bad Day consists of such uninventive disasters as ripping his pants, getting a flat tire, stepping into a manhole, and for a finale breaking the bed when he gives up and turns in. Then there is the pig who keeps driving off in the wrong car (police car, fire truck, etc.), the gorilla who steals bananas, the rabbit who is stuck in the muck, and the incompetent Mr. Fixit who consistently aggravates the mechanical and plumbing problems he's called to fix. This might be the lamest Scarry ever -- but more likely we've simply been subjected to too much of it.
