About This Book:
Ratnip goes for the gold in a citywide race in this third book of the chapter book series from the author of Good Dog.
Ratnip is entering the City Race, where critters race through the streets by climbing up poles, scurrying along telephone wires, and jumping across fences. Ratnip has his eye on the prize, but his competition is tough—especially the REAL gym rat! Can Ratnip prove himself fastest critter in the city?
With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Ratnip chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
*Review Contributed By Karen Yingling, Staff Reviewer*
Welcome to the ACTUAL Rat Race!
Good sportsmanship is something that takes a long time to develop in young children, so seeing examples like this is very helpful. Of course, Ratnip thinks he can win, even though he hasn’t been putting in the preparation that Pex has, but he is kindhearted enough to stop and help without really thinking through the consequences. Pex isn’t portrayed as being especially mean, but she is very focused on the race, which is okay, too. Ratnip’s one day of training hasn’t really put him in a good position to win, no matter how keen his Dodge the Trash skills are.
This is an early chapter book with larger print and fewer words on the page, somewhat similar to the format of Green’s Sophie Mouse books. There are black and white illustrations on most pages, which will make this appealing to students who want to read more novels but struggling with the transition from graphic novels.
Ratnip is an energetic character, and readers who enjoy series will be glad to look for his further adventures. Higgins’ Good Dog series, the Holms’ Baby mouse books, and Fergus and Zeke have the same sort of good natured animal stories with easiest text and plentiful illustrations.
