
By Bambi Edlund
A rat's quest to fit in leads to unexpected self-discovery.
In a park where squirrels get all the perks, a clever rat devises a plan to blend in. Crafting a squirrel-like tail from broom straw, he finally enjoys the park's bounty. But when dogs give chase, he learns why squirrels scamper. Will he embrace his true self or continue the charade? This humorous tale explores identity and the realization that being oneself might be the best disguise of all.
An enterprising rat discovers the joy of being true to himself At the park, people give squirrels free peanuts. And nobody screams when a squirrel crosses their path. But for Rat, it’s all screams and no nuts … until he comes up with a plan: be more like a squirrel–squirrel-ish! When his attempts at adopting a squirrel-ish posture and pinning his ears down don’t make a difference, Rat considers his tail. And after a few crafty but failed squirrel-ish tail prototypes made from cotton balls, feathers, and spaghetti, he lands on a winning material: straw from a broom! Finally, Rat can walk through the park without getting shooed. Free peanut in hand, he daydreams about building a re-tail empire … until the dogs in the park spot him and give chase. All of a sudden, Rat understands why squirrels do so much scampering! Maybe his rat tail isn’t so bad after all … Brightly illustrated and packed with hilarious details and hidden gags, this laugh-out-loud ode to self-love reminds readers that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
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