Rastamouse and Da Bag-a Bling

by Michael De Souza, Genevieve Webster

Rastamouse is on the move - there's a bling-lovin' teef needs catching. Red-hot reggae, happenin' hip-hop, big bags of bling and mysterious missing mice - all in a day's work for Rastamouse and his crew.

Hardcover

First published November 11, 2005

Reviews

[Daniel MB · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was something different because of the characters and the Caribbean language used, and that alone made it an enjoyable read for me.

It is a rhyming book, which has a rhythm and easy rhyming pattern to it, and I think the use of this rhythm helps to capture the cultural side of this book.

The book is very bright, with simple illustrations, colourful backgrounds, a friendly font and no consecutive pages the same colour. It would be easy to read aloud, and with only had few characters used, it makes them easier to almost become friends with. The story itself takes us down a familiar path with an unfamiliar ending. I think this ending tells you that you have to right your wrongs, which is something I like and agree with.

I believe there are a few appealing aspects to this book, starting with the name of the main character, the cartoon like illustrations, the different culture that is being captured and shared, along with the use of a different dialect. I think it will make children want to read this book. I am not sure of its re-readability. I would read it again for the poetry, the rhymes and rhythm, but I do not think I'd read it again for the story.

I also like the fact that at the back of the book, there is a page to help you pronounce the Caribbean language used and the definition of the words.

[EH-PI · Rating 3 out of 5]

With children, you end up reading a lot of children books, and unfortunately, after awhile, they all seem to merge into a formless mass of play-on-words, rhythmic repetitions and common plotlines involving your run-of-the-mill animals -- the bandy-kneed giraffe, the lion who wants to love or too full of pride, the chameleone having trouble with his colors. But out of nowhere, here's a storybook rendered in Jamaican English involving a hip-hopper turned criminal brought to justice in da most "irie" original fashone! Regardless of your politics about depictions of ungrammatical or ethnic English, you've got to admire the ingenuity of the idea! Hurray for Rastamouse and the Easy Crew Reggae Band!

[MM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well we haven't seen the TV show that came from the books, but S loves these. Loves the rhyming, and the patois.

[Callum Dale]

Rastamouse is a controversial book that follows stories about mice from Rastafarian backgrounds. The book helps teach children about the world and the range of people in them. It is very rare to find a book that shows black models who use logic and problem-solving for the good of a positive, creative community. There are concerns that the book could teach bad linguistic habits.

Despite the book having a strong message through love, parents have reported Rastamouse influencing poor grammar and pronunciation of words such as “tink” and “makin”. The book is intended to reflect the diversity of modern Britain. But its appeal has stretched far beyond an Afro-Caribbean audience and now impacts how British children write in schools. Confusing children with basic words may mean this book is only appropriate for advanced readers who are ready to comprehend varieties of English language; formal and informal. This book helps raise issues teachers often find difficult to talk about and allows children to learn about people from a range of backgrounds. However, for literacy content, this book is not very suitable for young audiences.