Rats Bigger than Cats is a delightfully cheeky and fun story written in verse. Karadi Tales has added a veritable gem of a book to its already rich collection of picture books for children. When you start reading the book-poem, by Maegan Dobson Sippy, you are at once drawn into the night-time setting where dogs howl and little nocturnal creatures appear. It all starts in the evening, once the children finish their playtimes and go off to their houses. Then, the stage is set for the big game- the real thing- between the protagonists. There is suspense in the air. As the poem progresses, an eerie atmosphere is built up. The main actors are of course, the rats and the cats. The children are the observers, who are a little scared of these rats who are bigger than cats!
The words are written quite beautifully and you may see your little one built up the suspense and getting really eager to know what happens. The reader will enjoy the process of moving towards the climax of the book…slowly finding opportunities to guess who will finally this game between the rats and the cats.
Reading a rhyming poem to children is always a delight! When read-aloud, Rats Bigger than Cats takes on a different dimension altogether and is super fun for the child-listener.
For picture books to be truly successful, there needs to be a seamless confluence between the text and the illustrations. Adrija Ghosh sketches magic with the illustrations in this book. They beautifully capture the haunting enigma of the night. There is a subtle interplay of shadows and the night atmosphere. And yet, the illustrations are cheery and very clear for the child to relate with.
So, if you’re looking for a read-aloud fun-fueled reading adventure with a touch of suspense for your preschooler, Rats Bigger than Cats is the book to read!
