Name: I Was a Rat!
ISBN: 9780440416616

At a Glance

Why This Clicks

Ratty, with a Twist

A playful blend of fairy-tale magic, adventure, and a sharply comic eye on the press.

Come here for

A fairy tale that toys with who gets to define an ordinary boy
Press parody with a wonderfully odd edge

Expect

Humor threaded through magical adventure
More than one take on what being ratty might mean

Book Details

Authors: Philip Pullman
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: February 12, 2002
Format: Ebook
Theme: Small Pets · Folktale Retellings
Reading lane: Small Pets

Affinity

Publisher Categories

Small Pets
Fairy Tales & Folklore
Manners & Etiquette

About This Book

“I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it...

Read full description

“I Was a Rat!” So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true. But what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of “Rodent Delusion”? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground freak? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. A champion wriggler and a budding thief? That’s what Billy thinks. Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. And it may take a royal intervention—and a bit of magic—to convince the rest of the world. Set against the backdrop of a Royal Wedding—and a playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.