That Pesky Rat

I love how creative Lauren Child's writing is. She uses several different fonts and sizes and puts words in the most unusual places. This book is a touching story of a poor rat that longs for nothing more than to be a pet. Although his pet friends point out the downfalls of being a pet, the rat is still willing to compromise. The rat’s dreams are fulfilled when old Mr. Fortesque adopts him and finally gives him a name. So what if Mr. Fortesque thinks he’s a cat, makes him wear a sweater, and names him Tiddles. The ending will definitely have you laughing.

That poor little pesky rat just wants to be a pet. He feels that he is not destined to be a street rat forever but no human will give the time of day. Where ever he goes he is known as that pesky rat, then he just gets shooed away. He wants a name, he wants to belong to some one. He does not care who he belongs to, he'll go to anyone. His friend Pierre has a home and he is a chinchilla so why would someone not want him? Even all of his other animal friends have homes, names and owners. That pesky rat decided to take action into his own hands and be proactive. He makes a sign saying he wants a home then waits. He waits and waits and waits and then finally! Finally that pesky rat has a home. He does not like that his owner dresses him but show more so what, he has a home. That pesky rat is now named "Kittycat." I loved this story and the ending was so funny. Truthfully, this story made me want a pet rat! Everyone needs a place to call home, even rats. show less

Usually when you think "Lauren Child", you think of Charlie and Lola... In this book, the main character switches from being a little girl (Lola), to being a little Rat. All is the same when it comes to style in that this book captures the child-like brain by emphasizing some words -- some in bold font, some bigger, some skinnier, some more spaced out (as if in a whisper), etc. The illustrations really set the scene for the book and what is discussed on each page, specifically. I loved this!

The Pesky Rat, by Lauren Child is a story about a brown rat. The brown rat The brown rat sees other pets with their owners and longs to have a home. He even wants a name of his own. My children really loved that this book showed a number of different pets with their owners. They felt very sad for the brown rat. The brown rat writes a wanted ad to look for a owner. The ad was very cute and my children giggled when we read the ad together. Finally, the brown rat Is adopted by a man named Fortesque. Although the man, misread and thinks the brown rat is a kitten. The rat doesn't correct his new owner! Brown rat is finally home with a new name, Tiddles! I love the snarky style of Lauren Child's writing. I think she is funny to children and show more adults alike. show less

I smiled the whole time I read this story as it ws written from the perspective of an animal that most would consider an outcast, a rat. I liked the message to appreciate what you have. The text is non-linear and tends to pop up in places you might not expect. Unless I was combing each illustration, I would have missed some of the text. Overall, the illustrations would really appeal to young readers as Lauren Child uses a combination of pastel, ink, collage, and photographs to create illustrations that add unwritten details to the home lives of various pets.

This is a story of a little brown who wants nothing more than to be someone's pet. Luckily, a pet shop owner agrees to put the mouse in her window, and eventually, the little brown rat is adopted by an old man, who can't see very well and mistakes the brown rat for a brown cat. Nevertheless, the little rat is all too excited to finally be adopted.

I would use this book for younger students. It's a cute tale about just wanting to be loved and to belong. The illustrations are fantastic and Lauren Child is so creative. This is a definitely a book second grade and under would adore.

This is the story of a rat who longs to be a pet and have a real name, instead of “That Pesky Rat.” He has many friends who are pets and although each one points out the pitfalls of being a pet (weekly baths, embarrassing sweaters), the rat is still determined to be a pet. At the pet store he puts up an ad in the window. The rat’s dreams are fulfilled when old (and very blind) Mr. Fortesque adopts him as a pet and gives him a name. So what if Mr. Fortesque thinks he’s a cat and names him Tiddles?

The illustrations are done in Child’s signature collage style, with lots of bold colors and prints. The text is humorous and written from the rat’s perspective. The words zig and zag all over the pages, adding another exciting show more element to the book.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2012/04/book-99-that-pesky-rat-by-lauren-chi... show less