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The Highway Rat

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Book Synopsis

The rollicking adventurous picture book from the number one bestselling author and illustrator of The Gruffalo, Stick Man and Zog. ‘Give me your buns and your biscuits!

Give me your chocolate eclairs!

For I am the Rat of the highway,

and the Rat Thief never shares!’

Life is not safe for the other animals, as the villainous Highway Rat gallops along the highway, stealing their food. Clover from a rabbit; nuts from a squirrel – he even steals his own horse’s hay.

Will he finally meet his comeuppance, in the form of a cunning duck?

Shiny foil highlights on the cover makes this a special gift for toddlers

A fabulous, rollicking rhyme, in the style of the famous Alfred Noyes poem, ‘The Highwayman’, from the UK’s number one picture book author and illustrator

Perfect read-aloud rhyming text and stunning pictures on every page with lots of details to spot

Adventure, friendship and learning to be kind are at the heart of this story.

Our Review Panel says...

Julia Donaldson’s bandit story is a must-have for EYFS and KS1 and a clever twist on the famous poem The Highwayman. The story follows a thieving rat on horseback who robs everyone he meets, stealing everything from a rabbit’s clover to a leaf from a line of ants. All is going swimmingly for him, until a duck eventually leads the baddie to his comeuppance.

The rhyming text moves at a suitably galloping pace and is built for reading aloud. Children love the repeated refrains of “I am the Rat of the Highway”, which is perfect for joining in with!

A high-energy and memorable story time choice, this story also makes for a great resource for exploring themes of greed and fairness.

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The Highway Rat

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the highway rat

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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

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