LOST AND FOUND IN THE CITY
RATNIP #1
by Cam Higgins
Illustrated by Allison Steinfeld
Little Simon
Chapter Book
128 pages
ages 5 to 9
In this first book of the new chapter book series from the author of Good Dog, meet Ratnip, an adorable rat who goes on adventures in the city that are equal parts sweet and icky!
Ratnip the rat lives in the City, where there’s always plenty of food to eat…if you know where to look. Dumpster diving isn’t just for finding food, though. It’s also for discovering knick-knacks and adventure! And tonight, Ratnip is on a very special mission to return treasure to its rightful owner. But will he make it home before sunrise?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Ratnip chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
Ratnip the rat lives in the City, where there’s always plenty of food to eat…if you know where to look. Dumpster diving isn’t just for finding food, though. It’s also for discovering knick-knacks and adventure! And tonight, Ratnip is on a very special mission to return treasure to its rightful owner. But will he make it home before sunrise?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Ratnip chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
MY TIDBITS
Family, friendship, and fun-packed adventure hits every page thanks to a rat that readers will want to have as a best friend.
It's night-time, and Ratnip, like the rest of his family, is out to find food. And treasures. Ratnip loves collecting things, and he knows friends around town who can help. After watching a weird human do a strange dance around the playground, he heads out into the city streets and runs across an odd object. On the front of this object is the image of this weird human. Ratnip never takes other people's treasures and knows he should return it to the owner. And that isn't going to be an easy task.
This is a fun first book to launch a new series. It starts right in the middle of Ratnip's family getting ready and introduces the reader to the situations and characters by diving straight in. Ratnip, his family, and friends hold an enjoyable mix of personalities, are very friendly, supportive, and energetic. They might not always understand Ratnip's fondness for treasures, but they're there for him when it counts. His curiosity is inspiring as he explores the city and runs from one unexpected adventure to the next.
The text is created in a larger font and great for those readers, who are pretty sure of their words but need more practice before hitting 'larger' reads. There are illustrations on each page, which not only make it easier to understand what exactly is happening but also are cute and adorable. The read is quick-paced and keeps the adventure rolling. The chapters are around a dozen pages each, well divided for reading pauses, and a Table of Contents in the beginning helps readers locate chapters faster if needed.
It's fun to accompany Ratnip through the city and see it from his rat-perspective, while experiencing everything from that angle. Not only is there plenty of humor built in, but there's a little tension, too. His ability to find friends everywhere leaves a smile on the face, and there's even a touch of cleverness as he needs to come up with some interesting ways to make things work. He's definitely a little rat to root for, and it will be fun to see what adventures are still coming his way.
PIZZA DREAMS DO COME TRUE
RATNIP #2
by Cam Higgins
Illustrated by Allison Steinfeld
Little Simon
128 pages
ages 5 to 9
Meet Ratnip, an adorable rat who goes on adventures that are equal parts sweet and icky! In this second book of the new chapter book series from the author of Good Dog, Ratnip searches for pizza on the city streets.
What goes together better than rats and pizza? Ratnip even lives in an abandoned pizza parlor. But one night, when the pizza craving hits him, he can’t find so much as a single leftover crust in the trash. There’s only one thing to make his own pizzas! How hard could it be?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Ratnip chapter books are perfect for beginning readers.
MY TIDBITS
Ratnip's on a mission and is about to discover more adventure than he planned for.
Ratnip's family and friends live in an abandoned pizzeria, which doesn't help when they get the urge for pizza since the only thing left is the old menu sign. Ratnip is determined to make everyone smile by finding the ingredients to make a pizza on his own. This sends him on a search through the city to find each item. Thanks to friends, he does have a little success, but then, things get rough. Still, Ratnip will never give up.
Ratnip's desire to make his family members smile is inspiring...as is his love for pizza. But it's Ratnip's willingness to go completely out of his way to achieve his goals, which make him a character to root for. Not everything goes smoothly for this young rat, and that adds to the humor and, sometimes, tension. He doesn't always know exactly how to accomplish everything, but that's why he has friends. The good and bad decisions create funny situations as Ratnip heads through the city and encounters surprising situations. It makes for a fun, fast-paced plot from beginning to end.
It's a lovely adventure for beginner readers, who are sure of their words but need more practice before hitting larger reads.
And here they are...
Cam Higgins wrote her very first book about a cat who lived in an alleyway when she was eight years old. As a child, she loved visiting a neighboring farm and seeing all the animals. Now Cam has a pup of her own, who is very mischievous, and she still loves writing about animals. Cam lives in New York City with her two children, her husband, and Laila the dog.
Allison Steinfeld grew up in Connecticut where she spent hours getting lost in her library books. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her two very fluffy cats. When not providing essential head scratches and belly rubs, she finds time to illustrate books like the Wait! What? series and the Kid Legends series.
No comments:
Post a Comment