When the leaves turned to scarlet and the air became crisp, the raccoon knew the time had come for him to adopt a child again. All he had to do was to wander toward the village and simply wait for the first smiling child to catch him. And, as always, he would allow himself to be hugged and stroked and loved and taken into the child's home for the whole winter. But each year it became increasingly difficult to abandon the children on the first morning of spring. Yet, he could not let himself be imprisoned in their world forever. 

Then suddenly he had an idea. Why not adopt a child so disagreeable, so impossible, that he would be happy to leave when the time came?

At first sight, child and animal bristled with antagonism. No doubt about it, this was going to be a deliciously unhappy relationship, one that the raccoon (she called him an "old macaroon") could break off with no regrets. Or so he thought, little suspecting that he would end up by completely losing his heart to this most impossible of all impossible children.

From the dust jacket