Tuesday 15 November 2011
The Highway Rat
A new Julia Donaldson / Axel Scheffler book is pretty much a gigantic event in children's publishing. They are consistently good, pretty much an unbeatable team. The Highway Rat is no exception, using Julia Donaldson's trademark rhyming couplets to tell the story of a nasty, mean and very hungry rat. Like a miniature food-obsessed Dick Turpin, this rat has a bit of a sweet tooth but doesn't care what he steals from the hapless animal characters who make their way along the road he travels.
The rat steals clover from rabbits, nuts from squirrels, even leaves from ants. But it takes a brave and rather smart duck to outwit this yellow-toothed hooligan.
As ever, it's a seemingly simple tale turned into a cross between a morals lesson and an entertaining story, and though there's a jarring about-face at the end of the book (you'll see what I mean), it's still worthy of our book of the week.
Charlotte's best bit - Gruffalo Biscuits!
Daddy's favourite bit - Great animal characters from Axel Scheffler
Rating - 5 out of 5 stars, book of the week.
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