The Rat (Disgusting Critters Series)

by Elise Gravel

Overview

One in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Rat is a look at the black rat. It covers such topics as the rat's long, agile tail (it's good for balancing and picking noses), long teeth (they can chew through anything, including books) and disgusting taste in food (delicious electrical wires in tomato sauce, anyone?). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Rat contains factual information that will both amuse and teach at the same time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770496583
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	08/05/2014
Series:	Disgusting Critters
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	641,985
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.39(d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Elise Gravel is an award-winning author/illustrator from Quebec. She was the winner of the 2013 Governor General's Award for Children's Illustration in French, and is well-known in Quebec for her original, wacky picture books. She has published a number of books with US publisher Blue Apple and is currently working on a graphic novel for Roaring Brook Press. Having completed her studies in graphic design, Elise found herself quickly swept up into the glamorous world of illustration. Her old design habits drive her to work a little text here and there into her drawings and she loves to handle the design of her assignments from start to finish. She is inspired by social causes and is likes projects that can handle a good dose of eccentricity.

Editorial Reviews

.... gently amusing and somewhat informative, these cartoon books will find a home in many a classroom library and will meet the basic needs for those children who dread nonfiction book reports.” - School Library Journal


“Gravel .... has created a title with great kid appeal. Share with browsers or hand to beginning readers looking for something a little different for that animal report.” - Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
Gr 2–4—These easy-to-read titles aim to amuse and inform in tandem. A cartoon rat or slug provides silly commentary to accompany an array of factoids about its respective subjects' physical characteristics and life style. (While the narrator explains that rats are enamored of human foodstuffs and garbage, this protagonist requests "more delicious electrical wire in tomato sauce.") Rat reproduction is mentioned nowhere, and as for slugs, well, the information is ambiguous. Looking "to find a partner and have babies," this slug hero/heroine (being both) follows another slug's mucus trail and then "lays its eggs." The book fails to discuss contact between the slugs, which will surely result in many questions from young readers. Still, gently amusing and somewhat informative, these cartoon books will find a home in many a classroom library and will meet the basic needs for those children who dread nonfiction book reports.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

School Library Journal