The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp. By Kathi Appelt. 5 CDs. approx. 6 hrs. Simon & Schuster Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781442366121. $29.99. Gr 3–7–Appelt’s latest work (Atheneum, 2013) features a host of eccentric characters including two raccoon scouts, Bingo and J’miah; a 12-year-old boy named Chap who is grieving his grandfather’s death; and the Sugar Man, a Yeti-type creature who has been asleep for 60 years. The raccoon brothers are tasked with waking the Sugar Man if the swamp is threatened. On their first night as scouts, they feel an ominous rumble of oncoming wild hogs. Meanwhile, the man who owns the swampland is planning to pave it and put up a gator-wrestling park. This angers Chap, who cherishes the natural beauty of the swamp and whose mom makes the most delicious pies with the sugar cane. Lyle Lovett’s rolling drawl and warm tone is the perfect complement to Appelt’s tale (S & S/Atheneum, 2013) with an environmental message. It’s a little disappointing that he doesn’t actually sing the lullaby used to keep the rattlesnakes at bay. Appelt writes with a rhythmic cadence and some random rhymes that Lovett delivers with flair. With tension and humor, this charming tale highlights teamwork, family, and especially community.–C.A Fehmel, St. Louis County Library, MO