Synopses & Reviews
"Like good reporters, Mike Fry and T Lewis have revealed to us at last what lies just beyond those well-groomed hedges."--Jim Cox, producer of the upcoming
Over the Hedge movie
RJ, the mischievous raccoon, and Verne, his philosophical turtle pal, don't have time to be inconvenienced by the suburban sprawl that's washed up against their woodland home. They're in too big a hurry to embrace it and make it their own. They fly-fish for hot dogs, set up bleachers to watch big-screen TV, and sip virgin Banana Boomerangs while soaking in a Jell-O-filled hot tub. And if the joie de pirating isn't enough fun for these two bon vivants, there's always the local homeowner's association on which to inflict a coup d'etat.
In Knights of the Picnic Table, their next Over the Hedge anthology, RJ and Verne are not just spectators to suburbanity, but also to the pregnancy of Noreen, whose home also happens to be their favorite fast-food franchise. When Noreen's husband, Nate, has to deliver their baby at home, RJ and Verne, personifying noblesse oblige, lead him through the harrowing birth. Then, as newborn Baby Clara's self-appointed au pairs, they take up the crusade of teaching her the finer points of their world while squiring her about in a Harley Davidson motorized stroller.
It may not be Camelot, but there's not a more congenial spot than Over the Hedge.
Synopsis
In the delightful strip Over the Hedge, R.J., a mischievous raccoon, and his best friend Verne, the philosophical turtle, notice the suburban sprawl that's encroaching on their woodland home, but decide to stick around anyway. While they've given up some of their pristine paradise, the pair has been rewarded with the addictive booty of modern living: big-screen TVs, hot tubs, Twinkies, and hours of fun wreaking havoc with the local homeowner's association.
Created by Michael Fry and T Lewis, Over the Hedge mirrors the life of many suburbanites in America today, those folks who want to retreat from the city and commune with nature, but can't give up the comforts of suburbia. As R.J. and Verne hilariously demonstrate by fly-fishing for hot dogs off backyard barbecues, it is possible to have it all.
Over the Hedge 3 proves the point. Consider many of Over the Hedge's lovable and laughable situations, such as when Verne crashes the Internet by e-mailing his Spam and potato chip pie recipe to seven million people. Or the time Nate and Norene, R.J. and Verne's human neighbors, go camping to be closer to nature, not realizing that the wildlife they want to be near has moved, standing room only, into their vacated living room watching Hogan's Heroes. Or the sweet scenario when R.J. and Verne discover, as they look out over a peaceful valley, that maybe people are looking for all the wrong things in all the wrong places.
Together, Fry and Lewis have devised a delightful strip in Over the Hedge that pleases readers who treasure its genial humor and gentle convictions. Over the Hedge 3 is certain to be a wildly successful book!