The Bins family, a trio of raccoon siblings, live in the attic of a human residence in Toronto's Kensington Market, a food-centric neighborhood rich with delectable dining establishments. De facto leader Dusty, muscular ReRe, and tech-savvy Scraps—a possum who believes he's a raccoon—have yet to meet a trash bin they can't open or a dumpster they can't dive into, much to the despair of Kensington residents. Following the grand opening of upscale grocer Well Bean, the siblings scheme to plunder the business's dumpster, where enormous quantities of perfectly edible food are discarded daily by order of CEO Jeff Bean. Discovering that Bean has installed a high-tech system guaranteed to keep critters at bay, the Bins family, aided by JB, a mysterious black cat with an ulterior motive, begin plotting the most daring garbage heist Toronto has ever seen. Ecological messaging surrounding food scarcity and community action ring true amid the humorously high-octane antics. Via expressive and vividly saturated cartooning by Gardner (Long Distance)and punchy text by Cooke (the Oh My Gods! series), the creators subtly raise awareness of waste prevention in this Mission Impossible–leaning graphic novel series launch. Ages 7–10. Author's agent: Maria Vicente, P.S. Literary. Illustrator's agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management. (Jan.)

Gr 3–6—The Racc Pack lives fast and eats trash. Raccoons ReRe and Dusty—the muscle and the brains of the group respectively—and gadget-guy Scraps, a possum who believes he is a raccoon, live in a sustainable treehouse and spend their nights scavenging the streets of Vancouver, dumpster-diving for food and scraps. After discovering a motherlode of discarded "imperfect" food in the dumpster of a high-end grocery store, the Pack teams up with mysterious cat burglar JB and other neighborhood critters to hatch a plan to break into the recently upgraded security dumpster and make off like bandits with their delicious, discarded grub. But critter-despising grocery store owner Jeff Beans is determined to thwart the heist. Equally action-packed and full of heart, this title will appeal to animal lovers and readers who enjoy humor with their high jinks. Cooke uses comedy to lightly touch on ecological and social issues like recycling, community displacement, urban threats to wildlife, and the corporate waste of cosmetically imperfect groceries, all while keeping the tone fun and bright as to not lecture young readers, but instead introduce them to these concepts. Gardner's artwork marvels with eye-catching colors, fun panel work, and emotive characters whose expressions range from endearing to hilarious. VERDICT An imaginitive, high-energy heist that serves up laughs while gently introducing young readers to timely topics. A first purchase for library collections.—Jasmine Amiri