As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
320 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| May, 2022
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-308408-7$15.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-06-308410-0$10.99
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Shawn Harris.
What began as an online storytelling experiment between Barnett and Harris during COVID-19 has been adapted into a graphic novel. This wacky space opera follows a crew of unlikely heroes on a mission to stop a horde of moon-eating rats. The cybernetically enhanced First Cat, along with a brave moon princess and friendly toenail-clipping robot, travel to the dark side of the moon, where they encounter a bloodthirsty baby pirate, a thieving team of disembodied hands, and a three-headed Rat King. The breakneck, stream-of-consciousness plot can be dizzying but never fails to be entertaining. Barnett's fast-paced dialogue, pleasing non sequiturs, and humorous wordplay ("Oh my Uncle Tony's hot calzoney") are amplified by Harris's impressive illustrations. An invitingly simple thick crayon-like line is employed throughout the comic, from its cartoony imagery to panel borders to lettering. The surprisingly earnest themes of friendship and individual purpose combined with the absurd humor should resonate with this audience.
Reviewer: Patrick Gall
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2022
400 pp.
| Candlewick
| October, 2022
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5362-1858-9$18.99
(2)
4-6
In this spooky fantasy, Annie finds a book of folktales from Litvania, her parents' homeland, and begins reading magical stories filled with clever girls and menacing beasts. For her tenth birthday, Annie's father gives her paper on which she is supposed to write her bad thoughts and actions and then feed the paper to the nuodeema burna, or the sin-eater, under the floorboards of her father's study. Once she begins participating in this Litvanian tradition, she ceases to grow, and the rats that have been plaguing the neighborhood get bolder still. Sinister family secrets, such as a never-aging father and a mother who'd mysteriously disappeared, come to the surface with the hordes of vermin that take to the town. Annie must restore order to her community--and all of Litvania as well. Her adventures are bound to find an eager audience in readers who value determination and moral fortitude in the face of an increasingly confusing grown-up world.
Reviewer: Sarah Berman
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2022
32 pp.
| Simon
| May, 2019
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5344-3950-4$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5344-3951-1
(2)
PS
Pat looks like squirrel Cyril, but Pat's skinny pink tail (and rhymes-with name) reveals he's a less-beloved park rodent. Still, lonely Cyril sees "his new best friend" in Pat. The two do everything together--and annoy the other animals, who try to tell Cyril that his friend is a rat. Punchy and entertaining, with rhyming text and bright art, this boisterous but thoughtful look at friendship makes an enjoyable read-aloud.
Reviewer: Julie Roach
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2019
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Gabriel Evans.
Adolescent tree squirrel Phoenix is happily living in a New Jersey forest when a hawk grabs him, then drops him in Manhattan. After rats--the lowest of rodents--rescue him from drowning, Phoenix is surprised that they generously care for him. Gradually, Phoenix becomes a valued member of the community. Seidler playfully provides a squirrel's-eye view of the world but, with questions of creature cooperation and interspecies relationships, fosters deeper contemplation.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2019
90 pp.
| Candlewick
| October, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5362-0005-8$14.99
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Matt Myers.
Popular Chuck Wood seeks Louie Ratso's advice about impressing his crush, Fluffy Rabbitski. Louie outlines a plan--while ignoring his brother Ralphie's own pleas for help with a poem contest. As in previous entries (beginning with The Infamous Ratsos), the characters entertainingly navigate real-world situations regarding friendship, loyalty, and responsibility. LaReau trusts readers to draw their own conclusions about the characters and their feelings--though playful black-and-white illustrations offer some clues.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2018
(3)
K-3
I Can Read Book series.
Illustrated by
Shahar Kober.
Plucky chicken Zoey, her pig BFF Sam, and rat Pip (all from Lehrhaupt's Chicken picture books) are going to the beach...at least in Zoey's imagination (it's really a close-by pond). They swim, build sand castles, search for treasure, and--Sam's favorite--eat a picnic lunch. Humorous illustrations in subdued hues keep to the barnyard setting throughout the perfect "beach vacation."
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Kate Hindley.
When a small, timid rabbit named Shylo Tawny-Tail overhears a gang of Ratzis (paparazzi rats) plotting to embarrass the queen of England, he bravely leaves his country burrow to help the Royal Rabbits of London (militaristic royal protectors) take down the pap. Scratchy line drawings bring the characters' personalities to life, while tongue-in-cheek critique of technology modernizes this old-fashioned animal adventure.
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Joe Sutphin.
Books in which animals talk to each other and understand humans (but humans remain oblivious) are ripe for the sort of inconsistencies that mar this novel. Nevertheless, readers craving pleasant animal adventures set in the subways, sewers, streets, and parks of New York City may enjoy this inconsequential story about a rat rescuing his brother, who's become a show-and-tell assignment. Expressive pencil sketches appear throughout.
(4)
1-3
Spy Next Door series.
In Mutant, boring third grader Dexter Drabner dreams of being a skateboarding spy like Toby Falcon; when his rat-flatulence-collecting science teacher accidentally turns a pet into a mutant monster, Dex's dreams come true. Curse finds the newly minted skateboarding spy-hero facing a mummy's ancient curse. This new series is chock-full of cartoons and slapstick situations reminiscent of Captain Underpants but with less successful humor. Review covers these titles: The Spy Next Door: The Curse of the Mummy's Tummy and The Spy Next Door: Mutant Rat Attack!
89 pp.
| Candlewick
| September, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7637-7$14.99
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Matt Myers.
Newly reformed Ratso brothers Louie and Ralphie plan to turn a vacant lot into a community arcade, but there's a hitch: the lot is next to a creepy house. Louie faces his fears, approaches the scary resident, and discovers a way to help another creature. The relatable situations, progressive plot, expressive illustrations, and easy-to-read text create a satisfying follow-up to the Geisel Honor–winning The Infamous Ratsos.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2017
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Daniel Duncan.
Queen Mary's famous dollhouse is on display at Windsor Castle--and inside it secretly resides young Henry Whiskers and his mouse family. When one of his sisters goes missing, it's up to Henry to save her. A sense of high adventure abounds as Henry faces rats, avoids humans, and drives his miniature car through the castle. Cartoony spot illustrations open each chapter.
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Lisa Perrin.
When evil rats overthrow the Land of the Dolls, living doll Karolina (who'd been happily working as a seamstress) is mysteriously transported to Kraków just before World War II. There she finds a happy home, albeit briefly, with a gifted magician/dollmaker. It's an unusual, engaging, but ultimately bleak tale that doesn't shy away from the horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland. Timeline.
125 pp.
| Scholastic
| April, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-338-03460-8$9.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-338-03462-2
(4)
1-3
Like all raccoons, Remington (Remy) is a collector--but he's no thief. When a newspaper implicates Remy in a museum robbery, the record must be set straight. He travels to Mouseville, Rat City, and Pigeon Plaza, declaring "all the city critters must unite!" to find the real thief. This illustrated chapter book relies on age-appropriate visual comedy to enliven an otherwise insipid plot.
48 pp.
| Little Gestalten
| October, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-3-89955-767-1$19.95
(2)
K-3
Adapted by Marine Tasso.
Translated by Noelia Hobeika.
This version of the traditional cautionary tale is set at Christmas (thus occasioning the book's red-and-green color scheme) and in 1283. The book uses its tall, narrow format effectively to convey the creepy atmosphere, most dramatically in a double-page spread of the rats converging on--and devouring--a boxful of poison that is no match for the creatures, who "savored the poison as if it were candy."
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2016
(4)
4-6
This "Cinderella" retelling is narrated in alternating chapters by teenage Cinderella and Char, a rat prince who falls in love with her. When the rodent is turned into a coachman, he must expose the true nature of the human prince at the ball. Machinations and secrets, as well as some humor, run through this love story, which slows at times but ends neatly.
118 pp.
| Little Simon
| December, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-8888-4$16.99
|
PaperISBN 978-1-4814-8887-7$5.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-8889-1
(4)
1-3
Illustrated by
George O'Connor.
Classroom C's hamster, Turbo, discovers he's not the only class pet who's also a superhero--Sunnyview Elementary is full of them! The Super Pet Superhero League defends Sunnyview from villains, including scheming rat Whiskerface and evil (or are they?) Flying Ninja Squirrels. Told in both prose and comic panels, these first installments in the Captain Awesome spinoff series are frenetic but appealing superhero adventures. Review covers these titles: Super Turbo Saves the Day and Super Turbo vs. the Flying Ninja Squirrels.
119 pp.
| Little Simon
| December, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4814-8885-3$16.99
|
PaperISBN 978-1-4814-8884-6$5.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-4814-8886-0
(4)
1-3
Illustrated by
George O'Connor.
Classroom C's hamster, Turbo, discovers he's not the only class pet who's also a superhero--Sunnyview Elementary is full of them! The Super Pet Superhero League defends Sunnyview from villains, including scheming rat Whiskerface and evil (or are they?) Flying Ninja Squirrels. Told in both prose and comic panels, these first installments in the Captain Awesome spinoff series are frenetic but appealing superhero adventures. Review covers these titles: Super Turbo Saves the Day and Super Turbo vs. the Flying Ninja Squirrels.
58 pp.
| Candlewick
| August, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-7636-0$14.99
(2)
1-3
Illustrated by
Matt Myers.
Wanting to emulate their father, a tough rat named Big Lou, Louie and Ralphie Ratso decide to play mean tricks on classmates and neighbors. But each attempt at being tough backfires--winning sterling reputations for the Ratsos. What will happen when Big Lou finds out? Generous black-and-white illustrations evoke the rundown-city setting and reinforce the text's light tone. A beginning chapter book with heart.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2016
246 pp.
| Farrar
| June, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-374-30308-2$17.99
(4)
4-6
Though more a love letter to Toor's deceased pet than a thesis on the merits of rat ownership, Misunderstood highlights the joys of having a domestic rat as a pet. With surprising tidbits ("New evidence links the spread of the plague to...gerbils"), scientific studies, literary quotes, and personal anecdotes, the congenial narrative is scattered but entertaining and informative. Reading list, websites.
261 pp.
| Algonquin
| September, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-1-61620-330-6$16.95
(2)
4-6
Eleven-year-old Daisy has never been beyond the boundaries of the labyrinthine Brightwood Hall estate, where she lives with her hoarder mother. When Mum fails to return home one day, Daisy is left alone (with her pet rat)--until a stranger appears. Daisy's bravery is tested as she scrambles to save her home, her mother, and herself. This suspenseful story will keep readers transfixed.
Reviewer: Sarah Berman
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2017
128 reviews
Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.
This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.