Testimonials

Without doubt, Ms. Hancock is one of the most fascinating and dynamic authors we have had the privilege of meeting. Being a former teacher, she very early established a rapport with the children and sustained interest at a high peak throughout her presentation… She is an extraordinary person.

What a wonderful experience! Lyn started out the day with an assembly presentation to all our students between grades 1 and 7 (400 in the gym). She talked about her experiences with animals and showed slides of her encounters with animals – the children loved it! Despite the length of the session (1-hour) the children were fascinated throughout the entire presentation.
Afterwards, she worked with two Intermediate (grades 4-7) at a time, running a writing workshop and focusing on descriptive words. Once again, the children were captivated! They had an opportunity to write their own ideas about “Tabasco making a mess” and were so motivated that they didn’t want to leave when their turn was over! I was particularly thrilled to see certain students, who usually are not particularly interested in writing, experiencing the thrill of putting words to paper. I think of a student who was very proud of her work but was too shy to share it herself (so Lyn read it out for her), of another who usually will print one or two words but wrote a whole paragraph, of a third who contributed a phrase that showed she has creative and inventive ideas about language despite having written output disorder. In all cases, Lyn was terrifically energetic, encouraging, and fun!
I would love to have her visit my school again, and encourage anyone who is considering an author visit with Lyn Hancock to book the visit and be ready for a fun-filled, energetic, and marvelously creative day.

Your book is fantastic. I couldn’t put it down and I’m usually a bit of a dough head these days when it comes to reading. What a crack up! Made me laugh, made me cry and everything in between! Oh Tabasco! What a groovy creature! What a character, I just loved him. Then when I found that he was a she I loved her too. I went through the book with my son Dylan last night relaying the story via the illustrations. Being just 5, he’s still at that very pictorial stage when it comes to books. He kept holding out his little hands saying I just want to hold Tabasco. Wouldn’t it make a great movie. Like a cross between ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Beethoven”.

I have taught for 30 years and by far this is the most stimulating presentation I have attended. The combination of the slide presentation, your reading of excerpts from your book Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon, as well as your many personal anecdotes made this book come alive. By talking about the steps you follow to write a book, plus the details about your illustrator, the students gained a greater understanding of the tremendous amount of work involved. Wonderful. I felt I HAD to read your books.

Mrs. Hancock held the attention of one hundred and ten students age six to twelve for a full ninety minutes…an incredible feat in itself. She explained her personal philosophy of writing novels and vividly recounted the memories and details that went into creating many of her books… a unique experience that will motivate students AND teachers alike for many years to come.

Thank you for your wonderful presentation… Your remarkable life experiences captivated our student population and inspired them both as global citizens, learners and writers…My students immensely enjoyed their time with you. Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon has become a classroom favourite. Many children have purchased it and are sharing it with their friends.

I have had so many favourable comments from the children. One little boy told me “Mrs. Hancock was the BEST speaker I’ve ever heard,” EVERY child in the class bought your Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon.

The story of Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon ignited a passion for writing amongst our students. I enjoyed seeing the students’ excitement for writing build as you told your story of living and travelling with a raccoon. Lyn, the passion you have for writing was infectious. Your animated personality and love for wildlife captured the students’ interests and got them thinking of stories they could share. Your background as a teacher is evident as you helped them build on their ideas to create amazing ‘hooks’ for their stories. Providing different writing opportunities to the teachers will help them lead their students to many different writing experiences…Absolutely amazing!

The presentation you gave to our students was most enchanting and dynamic. It kept our ordinary short-attention-span-students spellbound for the entire hour. That is quite an accomplishment, believe me. You are an inspiration.

I am a ten year old girl who read Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon. She made me laugh, she made me cry, and now is definitely living in my heart. Thank you for making such a wonderful book. I would love to have you at our school.

Tabasco lives up to his name as he creates plenty of spicy adventures for his caretaker. Adopting a three-week-old raccoon is a challenging responsibility even for an experienced wildlife researcher, but the rewards for keeping him hid from her landlord and smuggling him onto planes are worth the effort. Tabasco becomes a treasured asset to the author’s lecture circuit as she promotes animal research.

In TABASCO THE SAUCY RACCOON author Lyn Hancock presents a chronological description of each stage of development as her pocket-sized, adorable critter grows into a full-sized raccoon. This memoir is a testament to Hancock’s patience and her concern for animal welfare.  Her intention is to teach Tabasco the skills needed to live on his own. The situations that arise between the teacher and her pupil are both humorous and educational. Hancock’s writing skills are evident in this easy reading, 165-page story. The short chapters make this suitable for young readers. The descriptive passages make it enjoyable for an older audience.

The best part of this book is the realistic dialogue. Lyn’s conversations with both humans and animals add humour to the already comical circumstances that occur when raising wildlife inside your home. The trick or treat scene is one of my favourites. I also enjoyed the way that the author explains the various clicks and chirps that Tabasco uses to converse with her.

There is only one negative for me while reading. I was confused about the character of Jack. Although he is Lyn’s research partner, and they share living quarters at one point, their personal relationship is not clear. His statement that “Tabasco should have been shot when his mother invaded human territory” hardly fits with Lyn’s philosophy on animal rights.

This book would be a perfect read-aloud in an elementary classroom. The students would be captivated by Tabasco and would be learning some zoology in the process. I was drawn to the story because I used to have a raccoon that knocked on my kitchen door at night asking for his dinner. After reading this book, I am glad I never encouraged my nocturnal friend to come inside.

Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon deserves 4 out of 4 stars. It is exceptionally well-edited: I found no errors. The cover is attractive, and the illustrations are clever. The black and white photographs at the end are endearing. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers. I recommend it specifically to nature lovers who appreciate the bond  between animals and humans.

I loved the adventures of Tabasco the Saucy Raccoon! Lyn’s writing and story-telling took me away from my everyday world. I read the whole book in two sessions. Loved it! Will read it again.