Reviews

I Was a Rat! by Philip Pullman

laurenjoy's review against another edition

This was a weird book made great in the crazy way Philip Pullman writes.

matthewdaviddavies's review

4.0

"I Was a Rat!" tell's a version of the Cinderella story from the point of view of a rat. He was turned into a little boy by magic, and escorted Cinderella to the ball, where she fell in love with the charming prince, but he was so busy playing with the other page boys that he got left behind and wasn't turned back. The book uses a mixture of text, illustration and newspaper pages to tell of his various misadventures on the way to becoming part of a loving family. There is a lot going on in this book, it's funny and touching with a very warm heart, even if some of the social commentary is a little heavy handed at times and may go over younger reader's heads. It could be used in KS2 as a class reading book and would lend itself to quite a range of activities: looking at newspapers, both as texts and questioning their role in society; thinking about how changing the point of view changes a story; examining societal attitudes towards children ad probably many more!

z0el0uise_'s review against another edition

3.0

Read this with my class and they loved it. They were belly laughing one moment and having thoughtful debates the next. Helped even my most reluctant readers. Personally I think the ending was slightly dragged out and lost its fun but the children loved it nonetheless!

alysev's review against another edition

3.0

Fun twist on Cinderella. Not so meaty or meaningful that it'd be a huge draw for adult readers.

asuka_mai's review against another edition

4.0

OH Roger... kasihan sekali nasibmu..

Joan dan Bob dikejutkan dengan kedatangan seorang anak kecil berbaju pesuruh yang sangat aneh. Bagaimana tidak, ia mengatakan dirinya dulu seorang tikus,namun sekarang sudah tidak.karena ia sudah berubah menjadi anak laki-laki.
Bob dan Joan yang tidak punya anak, sebenarnya sangat senang dengan kedatangan anak laki-laki tersebut. Dan mereka menamakan nya Roger.

Roger yang berkelakuan layaknya tikus, merusak semua seprai dan mengerat semua perabotan kayu dirumah Joan dan Bob. Namun Bob dan Joan tidak sampai hati memukulnya karena ia anak yang sangat polos dan jujur, hanya kelakuannya saja yg benar2 seperti tikus.

Bob dan Joan membawa Roger ke polisi, dokter, rumah yatim piatu sampai menyekolahkannya..namun tak satupun yang menerimanya...
Petualangan Roger dimulai, ia berada dari satu tempat ke tempat lainnya...
Ternyata tidak semua orang menyukainya..... :(

dsbs42's review against another edition

4.0

2005:

"Loved it, loved the premise, loved the character. Great quick-read children's book."

shgmclicious's review against another edition

Meh.

absireads's review

4.0

Really, 4.5 stars. Like with Clockwork, I Was a Rat! feels very simple, but it packs a punch. Especially in today's political climate, Pullman's commentary on the press/media felt very relevant. It always astounds me how deeply Pullman can probe at socio-cultural norms in such short stories. I think I'm still processing this one, but highly recommended read.

tatterdemaliondandelion's review against another edition

3.0

Very cute and with a well-reasoned and alarming take on the dangers of mob sentiment and media reporting that seems digestible for children. The illustrations were also a terrific addition to a child-friendly text with a good message.

schurkmans's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0