Prepare to be disgusted, amazed, shocked (and informed) by the astonishing and mysterious creature that has annoyed humanity for centuries: Rats! Able to claw straight up a brick wall, squeeze through a pipe the width of a quarter, and gnaw through iron and concrete, rats are also revealed in this fascinating book to be incredibly intelligent and capable of compassion. Weaving together science, history, culture, and folklore, award-winning writer Albert Marrin offers a look at rats that goes from the curious to repulsive, horrifying to comic, fearsome to inspiring. Arresting black-and-white scratchboard illustrations with bold red accents add visual punch to this study of a creature that has annoyed, disgusted, nourished, and intrigued its human neighbors for centuries.* " A] lively and informative overview of the history and behavior of the widely encountered rodent.... It's a different sort of discussion... for this well-known historian and biographer and one that he has clearly enjoyed, as will a wide variety of nonfiction readers and animal fans. There's a bibliography of adult sources and children's nonfiction as well as a listing of literary works featuring rats." School Library Journal, starred review Pleasantly icky. Booklist A Junior Library Guild Selection Includes bibliography, further reading list, and a list of rats in literature.

• Category: Animals
• Binding: Paperback
• Language of Text: English
• Author(s): Albert Marrin, C. B. Mordan
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• ISBN: 9780147512819
• Number of Pages: 98
• Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches