All In The Same Boat: A Cautionary Modern Fable About Greed Featuring a Rat, a Mouse, and a Gerbil

by Wilkie J. Martin, Tanja Russita (Illustrator)

A cautionary new fable for ages 6-8.

An illustrated tale of the aftermath of a shipwreck in which greedy Rat threatens the lives of his smaller companions as they drift in a lifeboat amid shark-infested waters.

Follow their dramatic voyage to find out what happens to them and who survives.

If you like the original tales of the Brothers Grimm and Aesop, you’ll enjoy this dyslexia friendly edition.


'It might even out-grim Grimm.' Goodreads Reviewer Theediscerning

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fables

51 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2019

Reviews

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story was slow and boring. The children lost interest very quickly. I found the story didn’t interest me that much either. The water colour illustrations were spare and not at all appealing.

There was a good underlying moral of greed being the catalyst of Rat’s demise but the road there was too long.
*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

All in the same boat is a dark tale about greed. 3 animals have shared a boat at sea and have a limited supply of food and water. Who will survive and why?
A dark tale that is very Brothers Grimm in style.

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Trust A Fat Rat.

Another viciously sharp tale from Martin. Charmingly minimal art mixes with dark theme to teach a valuable life lesson, without being disturbingly grotesque.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whoa. This is dark.

Essentially, this is a little fable about three animals who get stuck in a boat with limited supplies. Rat is greedy and takes more than his fair share. And... that's about it.

There's no real reason for Rat's change of heart at the end. His greed is so strong, it leads him to eat one of his companions. There's nothing in the text that suggests why he would suddenly understand the error of his ways, other than a scolding from the remaining companion.

The body count in this book is high. Arguably, everyone dies. It's a really strange thing to see in a children's picture book, and it makes the whole story rather pointless. If the last remaining character doesn't have long to live, anyway, the lesson becomes essentially meaningless. Maybe they all should've eaten and drank their fill and at least enjoyed themselves if their days were already numbered.

The illustrations are rough but passable, and with a better story, they might have worked. I'm just struggling to see the point of such a pointless story. If you want to convey a message about greed, there needs to be more emphasis on long-term consequences; otherwise, readers may question the need to rein in that greed in the first place.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company for providing a digital ARC.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

All in the same boat - a modern fable about Greed.
This has a very sharp edge to it - parents need to see that it is a Badass New Grim Modern Fable that holds no punches.
It is a children’s book, aimed at 6-8 year olds.
Let’s no get too liberal and floaty - a shark would eat all three and without food each survivor looks tasty to the others. These are animals with their instincts yet conveying a human moral tale. Kids this age will love it.
Titanic has taught us that shipwrecks don’t always end well. This will not be a fairy tale where they all live happily together, forever.
All in the same boat - to be in the same boat is to be in the same unpleasant situation as others.
A lifeboat perhaps best illustrates this as when the ship goes down three animals share the same craft and possibly the same fate.
The interaction, conversations and betraying their nature when under stress is brought out brilliantly in this three creatures. The rat, the mouse and the gerbil. Similar animals but with completely different natures. Can they work together to survive ?
The writing is clear and on point. The illustrations bold and beautifully done in water colours.
The is a grown-up children’s book that kids will enjoy unless they don’t like Planet Earth on TV.
I hope more books follow. Can’t wait for the fox and the gingerbread man.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not recommended for young children

This was an interesting story about what it means to be greedy and how sharing is caring. While I wouldn’t recommend this for young children, kids 10 and up could definitely learn a lot from this book.

Rat, Mouse, and Gerbil find themselves stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean but with plenty of food and water to share until they reach land if they only take their fair share each day. Rat, the character of greed, decides that, because he is bigger and stronger, he deserves more food, more water, and more space. Mouse and Gerbil give into his demands, but time will only tell if Rat’s greed comes to bite him in the butt.

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

I am honestly slightly at a loss for words. All in the Same Boat by Wilkie J. Martin, illustrated by Tanja Russita, was not the story that I was expecting at all. So much so to the point that I kind of looked at it when I put it down and my first thought was to wonder if I was wrong when I'd thought it was a children's book. But it was and apparently I just forgot to recognize what "cautionary new fable for ages 6-8" probably meant. I think I just imagined for some reason that it wouldn't be so dark.

But All in the Same Boat actually is pretty dark. Much darker than I expected for a kids book. And while I admit this, I also have to admit that I loved it. The story was so unexpectedly fun--though I did get a bit sad halfway through and if you read it I'm sure you'll be able to figure out why--that I honestly would love to have this book on my shelf. I question whether I would read it to a six-year-old just a bit though. Perhaps my future child might enjoy it, but as an educator I don't think I could read this book to a student. I'd feel a bit awkward about it.

But overall I just really enjoyed the story. In my opinion, despite the dark nature of it, this is a fantastic tale. And it's definitely reminiscent of some of the fables that I'd read as a kid. I think back to tales like the one about the fox and the scorpion and it matches for me. Plus the artwork was actually surprisingly wonderful. I didn't know if I'd love it going in, but I left the short story really appreciating it.

So, ultimately, I definitely loved this book. I was certainly surprised, having not expected the events to unfold as they did. But at the end of the day, this was one of the more fun and interesting children's books I've read in a while.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, honestly? I finished the story and I really liked it. But I would totally not recommend this to most 6-9-year-olds although I can think of a number of upper elementary or middle school kids that would love it. It's a cautionary tale and it is definitely dark, much like Grimm's fairy tales. There is gruesome death, although this is not illustrated. I loved the simple and bright illustrations because they contrasted all the more with the dark story. I had to admit I was cackling by the end! Okay, I might be a little twisted, lol. But I really do think this book would be better for older kids and adults. I listened to the little audio sample and liked the reader for it, but the clip did not indicate just how dark it was going to be. I would be curious if the reader is able to give the reading the nuance it needs to have me cackling by the end!

Thanks to #WilkieJMartin, #NetGalley, and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - This is another updated fable by Wilkie J. Martin. Rat is greedy and when Rat, Mouse and Gerbil are the only survivors of a sinking ship, he eats and drinks more than his share of the food and water found in the lifeboat. It is a cautionary tale for children, but I disagree with the age to read it to. I would recommend it for ages 8 and up. It is a well written story with cute watercolour illustrations that act as a contrast to the actual sad and dark story. The message is about greed and selfishness, but there are also components about death of a friend and fear of a bully. This would be a good book to read with a class learning about fables and how they have messages for the reader. I did not read this one to my grandchildren, as I believe they were too young for the dark content. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Gladimore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alas, gerbil, mouse and rat have survived the shipwreck, but now they have to survive out on the open sea in a lifeboat, with just enough food and water. What will they do? How will they survive this treacherous landscape? A similar structure to a Aseop's fable; this story teaches us about greed. Greed that in this case, can kill. If you are a fan of stories that educate a child on the pitfalls of selfish desires, this is a book for you.
#Netgalley

[Amber Webb · Rating 1 out of 5]

When friends eat one another out of selfishness, it is just not a book I can get behind. I think there are so many other ways to help children see the value of selflessness, sharing and kindness without having animals destroy one another. I am really disturbed by this book and will not be sharing with my children I know.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very grim book about greed, survival and death. Moral: don’t be greedy and never trust a rat. But since they all die in the end (except the shark), what’s the point of this book? I didn’t like the ending at all. Not a book I would highly recommend to a young child.

[Sarah Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do not read to young or sensetive kids

Two of the characters die and my 4 year old was upset and asked me to stop reading. It was a good story but I wouldn't have read it to her if I had known. I should have read the description a little better.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

so colorful, fun read. can rat and mice book cool? i mean i get it ...but seriously r they cool? i am just kidding of course. cute read.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play fair

It made me laugh and the fat rat gets his just desserts in the end. Children 8 and over I think.

[Patrick Dunphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what we thought

Though an important lesson about greed, my 4 year old did not enjoy that they are all ate each other.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

About Greed

This is a story about greed using a Rat, mouse and gerbil. Both illustrations and story are done well. Interesting.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. The pictures were great. So bright. The story was fun.

[MasterReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

After their ship sinks in a terrible storm, Rat, Mouse and Gerbil find themselves in a small lifeboat, drifting on open sea, with no idea of their location.

Rat screams and shouts, he's sure they will all die and might as well just give up right now.
Mouse and Gerbil, not throwing a tantrum, have discovered, there's a crate with food and a barrel filled with water on board, which gives them a fair chance to reach land and survive.
They eventually manage to calm down Rat and as food and water supplies are scarce, the decision is made to ration them.

Rat still is not happy. He demands bigger portions, argueing he is bigger in size and he wants more space for himself on the boat.
Furthermore, when the two others are asleep, he sneeks up to the supplies and helps himself.
Finally, when the weather turns colder, Rat wants a warm nest of wood scraps, which results in him having a go at the planks of the boat and we all can imagine, that's not really a good idea.

Rat generally behaves like a typical bully and it's protrayed here very well.

Once he gets, what he demands, he doesn't stop, but wants more. His requests, which might sound reasonable at first, turn quickly into reckless greed, a total lack of consideration and care for Mouse and Gerbil.

Those who intimidate and haress others, have a total lack of self control and self restraint, as well as huge problems with self respect. They have to come first, no matter the logic or like in this case, Rat is totally oblivious of the fact, he's putting all of their lives at risk.

Bullies have issues with themselves and usually lack the courage to address those problems. They need to constantly invade the space and life of others, to show how important they think they are, to compensate how low they actually really feel.

Sadly, most humans are programmed to avoid conflict and often simply give Rats what they want, despite seeing the consequences at the horizon, but are too afraid to stand their ground.

It never ends well in the long run, and also our Rat has to face the result of his horrid behaviour, but, what is quite interesting, in this story also one of the other travelers will pay a terrible prize. I completely love this, because it's a very important point, which is more often than not sugar coated in books for children. Normally there's a fairy tale ending: bad and good, both get what they deserve for their actions.

But here's the thing: looking away, when you or someone else gets bullied, means you let it happen and not only does the bully get away with it, but they will continue and it does effect all and everybody in their surrounds.

The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the text perfectly.

For those, who prefer to listen to stories, there's an Audiobook of All In The Same Boat available, the listening time is around 11 minutes, and it's very well narrated. I highly recommend it as well as the picture book.

[Christina Potter Bieloh · Rating 5 out of 5]

All in the Same Boat had my 11 year old son and I absolutely hooked from the first page. Reading this story made us feel so frustrated and even anxious because of the despicable nature of Rat. However, it is so well done. The bright watercolor illustrations contrast so well with the darkness of the story, and we read as fast as we could to find out what happens to the three characters (two of which we quickly grew to care for very much).

Here's my problem. It's described as a tale for 6-8 year olds. If I had to rate it as a story for 6-8 year olds, I'd have to give it 1 star, because I could not read this to second graders. I think it is way too dark. Now if I was going to read it as a cautionary tale for perhaps 5th grade and up then I would give it 5 stars because it is an amazing read. Reading it was almost painful to me. Rat is so awful, and the story is so unfair in ways, but that just means that the author did an amazing job of conveying the message of the story. Because I do think it's an amazing story, I want to rate it as if it is meant for older children and even adults. I highly recommend it for ages 11+.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

#netGalley #allinthesameboat

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes!! A shipwreck leaves a rat, a gerbil and a mouse alone in a life-raft, although they do have supplies to last until anything else comes along (unless what comes along first is the giant shark circling beneath…). Unfortunately the rat sees that he's bulkier than the mouse, and thirstier than the gerbil, and so should get a greater ration. And his selfishness just grows and grows from there. Now you might think an animal fable concerning selfishness is a good thing, but for one thing here his logic, that he needs a greater share and more space, actually has a kind of solid reasoning, and for the another – this is a grim as anything. It might even out-grim Grimm. Lovely watercolour images, as in the team's other title, really sell this, but with the brightness of the design so not matching the darkness of the story, they really have produced a misfire here. Let's face it, it starts with the deaths of everyone else on the boat, and trust me – it gets steadily worse from there. One and a half stars.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a dark tale for children, but I loved it as an adult. I love how sneakily we get to see the Rat dominating the good-willed mouse and the gerbil, with whom he is sharing a boat in the middle of the sea. The Rat convinces/deceives them into giving him more food and water, so he gets stronger and the fellow partners get weaker. Later on, he dominates the whole ship, but his arrogance and greed will result in his downfall as well. It would give a good example of the importance of not being selfish and survival as a group, but a kid might be scared of all the evil the Rat represents. It might be better to promote it for an older target group. Special thanks to NetGalley and The Witcherley Book Company for an ARC.

[BreeAnn (She Just Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I pre-read this before reading it to my 6 and 8 year old. After reading it, I felt that it was too dark for my six year old, but I did read it to my 8 year old who didn't care much for it.. The story is a cautionary tale about greed, but I felt that there was such a continued loss of life that it made the moral difficult to comprehend. The illustrations felt very haphazard and unfinished. Overall, I would not suggest buying this book for a young child until you have pre-read to decide if your youngster would be okay reading this one.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This along with another title released for review at the same time , The Lazy Rabbit, seem to be allegorical takes for a new age. This one takes the age old story of a person or group making a joke in "their" part of the boat and tells it with rodents with is meant to appeal to children. I can definitely see myself sharing this with my own kids, which is my measure for a good children's book. I think the moral is apt, especially given our current Western political climate.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lol! I don't know what to make of this story! Is it for children? Maybe not really young ones. Rat certainly was a greedy one and he does deserve the ending, but- oh!- it's a kids book! Well, for the right kid, this is going to be a good one. I'm not sure Gerbil was the lucky one at all.... Illustrations were a delight.

I received a Kindle arc, of this dark little gem, from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review!

[Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book dark and disturbing and it gave my son nightmares. I'm sure that it is trying to work to a more positive message or lesson, but the dark humor just doesn't land in a picture book intended for small children. I'm not sure what the author or publishing house is thinking when they work on this, but they need to take a step back as it boarders on being inappropriate.

[Sue Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A witty book with simple but effective illustrations. It deals with the topic of greed and it's consequences in the form of a fable. Given that we tend to read books to children even younger than that suggested as an appropriate age, I would caution that this is more suitable to a key stage two pupil rather than a 6 year old. Could be useful as a topic book for Personal and Social education with mid juniors.

[Olga Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

You will not like the rat. He is just rotten to the core, very selfish and was definitely using his physical size and strength to intimidate the poor Gerbil and Mouse. On the other hand, the two smaller critters, sweet as they are, should have stood up for themselves! Poor guys, it is not easy to fight for the right thing, but you have to do it!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a bit long, but I liked it. It’s not one of those everything is happy and hunky dory stories. It reminds me of the folktales like Catskinella and The Two Jakes from The People Could Fly. There are real world consequences to real world problems, and if do do things wrong, karma will bite you in the bum. Literally in this case.