How Mother Rat Invented the World

“A long time ago, before the sun, the moon, the stars-even before the Earth and sky existed-Mother Rat lived in the workshop.” The opening words of How Mother Rat Invented the World tell of a workshop that existed outside of space and time, but to Mother Rat, a very practical packrat, it was simply the home she shared with her three children, her friend Blue Jay, and the Old Man and Woman. For a long time-although since time did not yet exist, we cannot say how long-the Old Man and Woman struggled to create a universe. Many of their efforts simply fizzled back into nothingness after a few moments. Others expanded so rapidly they could not hold together. Finally, on one remarkable day, they succeeded in creating a beautiful universe full of stars, galaxies, and other wonders. But, despite all their knowledge of physics and mathematics, all their care and hard work, something was missing from their creation’s vast, shining clockwork-until Mother Rat showed them the importance of chance, diversity, imagination, and love in making a world we all can share. Mother Rat’s story is a secular creation myth, a love letter to science and invention, a celebration of nature, and a children’s story for everyone, no matter their age, who embraces imagination, an open heart, and an enduring sense of wonder.