shighley's review
4.0
This book got off to a great start with a description of the author as a boy of 7 discovering a rat at his father's construction site, causing him to take off running-- through wet concrete. What an image that creates. That spurred his interest in rats.
There are interesting sidelights on almost every spread, although I sometimes found the woodcarving illustrations that accompanying them to be a little muddied.
The author does a great job of including interesting facts, and I can't help but look around, not really in fear, but not really happy that I might see a rat! I learned some new vocabulary words, including "thigmophilic" or touch-loving (gives me the creeps). Among many other things, I learned that they can survive being flushed down a toilet, not that I ever hope to have to do that, even though the author says that they are not really dirty animals. And, who knew that rats could fish? The numbers of people killed due to the plague is imcomprehensible. I didn't know that rats are used to help detect land mines, TB, and other things.
I think this book will be of interest to students, and I plan to get it for our library.
There are interesting sidelights on almost every spread, although I sometimes found the woodcarving illustrations that accompanying them to be a little muddied.
The author does a great job of including interesting facts, and I can't help but look around, not really in fear, but not really happy that I might see a rat! I learned some new vocabulary words, including "thigmophilic" or touch-loving (gives me the creeps). Among many other things, I learned that they can survive being flushed down a toilet, not that I ever hope to have to do that, even though the author says that they are not really dirty animals. And, who knew that rats could fish? The numbers of people killed due to the plague is imcomprehensible. I didn't know that rats are used to help detect land mines, TB, and other things.
I think this book will be of interest to students, and I plan to get it for our library.
abigailbat's review
3.0
Did you know that rats can be flushed down a toilet a live? Did you know that rats sometimes fish with their tails? Did you know that a pair of rats could have 359 million descendants in 3 years? Learn these fun facts and many, many more in Albert Marrin's book Oh, Rats!
Illustrations in black, white, and crimson decorate the book and sidebars on nearly every page provide additional fun facts. Although I do like the illustrations, they were a bit distracting because the full-page pictures do not have labels and sometimes I couldn't figure out what they were supposed to be illustrating.
Mr. Marrin provides a bibliography at the end, as well as a short list of recommended reading. The neat thing is that he also includes a list of fictional books that feature rats as (good or evil) characters. I guess I was left wanting a little more from his bibliography and I wish he had included an author's note. But I will say that it's a greatly entertaining book and likely to appeal to kids.
Illustrations in black, white, and crimson decorate the book and sidebars on nearly every page provide additional fun facts. Although I do like the illustrations, they were a bit distracting because the full-page pictures do not have labels and sometimes I couldn't figure out what they were supposed to be illustrating.
Mr. Marrin provides a bibliography at the end, as well as a short list of recommended reading. The neat thing is that he also includes a list of fictional books that feature rats as (good or evil) characters. I guess I was left wanting a little more from his bibliography and I wish he had included an author's note. But I will say that it's a greatly entertaining book and likely to appeal to kids.
lizlikesreading's review
4.0
A fascinating, information-filled, interestingly-illustrated look at how rats have impacted human history. Particularly well-done is the fact that, despite mentioning the Black Death and other negative rat/human issues, rats are not presented as evil or frightening. This is not always the case in young adult literature. The book manages to be interesting, but not gratuitous.
missjenniferlowe's review against another edition
2.0
I read this for work. I feel bad giving it two stars. It was very well-written and well-researched. I am sure that the kids will enjoy reading it immensely. It was one of the most disgusting books I have read. Seriously. I felt quite sick in some places. I am generally not squeamish, so this came as a bit of a surprise.
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