RATTY’S BIG ADVENTURE

It’s a big, beautiful—sometimes dangerous—world out there.

Exploring the themes of “the grass is always greener” and “big fish in small ponds,” this book follows a Bosavi woolly rat who climbs a tree to eat a piece of fruit and inadvertently spots the jungle landscape beyond his home inside the volcano crater in Papua New Guinea’s Mount Bosavi. Suddenly dissatisfied with his usual homegrown meals, Ratty comes to the realization that, “There must be BIGGER, BETTER, FRUITIER things out there!” and sets off to find them. The journey, which involves a long trip along a stream and into a river, is less enjoyable than Ratty thought it would be, and he’s repeatedly rebuked by various unfamiliar animals—until he meets a crocodile, who is only too happy to invite the naïve rat to dinner. Thanks to a deus ex machina in the form of a group of friendly bats, Ratty survives the dinner-party-for-one and makes it home, where he reflects on the value of his home. The story treads familiar ground, but it does it well, and the illustrations—a mix of gouache and watercolor with digital tweaks—enhance the tale. Additional backmatter provides more information on Mount Bosavi and the species that call it home. This is an enjoyable and entertaining tale, and readers will love welcoming Ratty from his home to theirs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Genial jungle joy!