How a raccoon became the fourth star of our books

Long Story Short: The Instagram algorithm did it.

Longer (but still short) Story
It was soon after releasing the Eastern Armenian version of Ourakh Khozooguh, I was scrolling Instagram on a weekday night and this is what the algorithm chose to show me...
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A post shared by why you should have an animal (@youronlysourceofserotonin)

​​After watching that raccoon adorably attempt to catch snowflakes as they fell from the sky, I liked the post. Because I liked it, the algorithm showed me more raccoon related posts, and slowly I became a fan, liking every video I was shown. 

Did you know in some states, it's legal to keep a raccoon as a domesticated animal??!

So yes, a little obsessed. But why?

Well, in part because they are cute....with their burglar-masked eyes and human-like hands, but also because they are smart. Not just smart, but clever, curious, crafty, and playful.

I also wanted to introduce the Armenian word for raccoon. I had only recently learned it myself from the Armenian translated Frog and Toad books. Why not read books for entertainment and build our vocabulary, too?

If you're not convinced that raccoons are adorable, or if you're a closet raccoon fan already, follow Kids Reading Armenian on Instagram where I'll be sharing a raccoon-featured story almost every day for the next 30 days. I hope you'll come to see what I saw in them -- fascinating, smart, cute animals. And don't forget to buy your copy of Pari Churarchuh today!