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that pesky rat
Sometimes when I am tucked into my crisp packet, I look up at all the cosy windows and wonder what it would be like to live with creature comforts. To belong to somebody, to be an actual pet.
This is the funny, touching tale of how a pesky street rat finds home, sweet home!
This is the funny, touching tale of how a pesky street rat finds home, sweet home!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
10 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Child
452 books838 followersLauren Child MBE is an English author and illustrator. She was the UK Children's Laureate from 2017-19.
Child grew up in Wiltshire as the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. She has always been interested in the many aspects of childhood, from gazing into toy shop windows to watching American children's shows from the 1960s. After attending two Art Schools, she travelled for six months, still unsure about which career to embark upon.
Before writing and illustrating children's books Child started her own company 'Chandeliers for the People' making lampshades. It was only when she came to write and illustrate the book Clarice Bean, That's Me that she decided to devote her time to writing and illustrating books for children, which combines her fascination for childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Child gets her inspiration from other people's conversations or from seeing something funny happen.
Her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.
Child lives in North London.
Child grew up in Wiltshire as the middle child of three sisters and the daughter of two teachers. She has always been interested in the many aspects of childhood, from gazing into toy shop windows to watching American children's shows from the 1960s. After attending two Art Schools, she travelled for six months, still unsure about which career to embark upon.
Before writing and illustrating children's books Child started her own company 'Chandeliers for the People' making lampshades. It was only when she came to write and illustrate the book Clarice Bean, That's Me that she decided to devote her time to writing and illustrating books for children, which combines her fascination for childhood and her talent for designing and creating. Child gets her inspiration from other people's conversations or from seeing something funny happen.
Her book I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato won the 2000 Kate Greenaway Medal. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005), a panel named it one of the top ten winning works, which comprised the shortlist for a public vote for the nation's favourite. It finished third in the public vote from that shortlist.
Child lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
November 5, 2016
Aww.... Don't let your tears get jerked until the end, though, as some of the text is obscured by the pictures and you don't want to miss any of it!
(Not part of any of her series; a stand-alone story. But it could be paired with her Who Wants to Be a Poodle I Don't.)
(Not part of any of her series; a stand-alone story. But it could be paired with her Who Wants to Be a Poodle I Don't.)
December 6, 2021
For a former pet rat owner this book is absolutely adorable and has a happy ending. I am so glad we grabbed it from the shelf. As an adult i am bored of reading adult things. Refreshing and sweet read.
January 5, 2008
Another one that requires a funny voice. Plus you have to wrinkle your little ratty nose when you read. (Oh, come on, it'll be fun.)
August 19, 2018
The pesky rat introduces himself by telling us how cute he is, that he lives in dustbin number 3, Grubby Alley, and that every now and again he returns home to find that someone has emptied all his belongings into a big van and driven off with them. Not surprisingly he finds this 'very upsetting'.
He is known as the pesky rat because people say that he smells but he tells us that it is not his fault, 'it's the dirt'! He admits that he would love to have a name rather than 'that pesky rat' and that he would like to belong to someone, 'to be an actual pet'.
He has a friend, Pierre, who is a chinchilla and who has a very glamorous life because he is looked after by Madame Fifi, living in the lap of luxury in a fashionable apartment. When he visits he sits on a cushion but Madame Fifi does shampoo him once a week but he does not like having baths; he says, 'I am allergic to soap'.
He also has a friend Oscar, who is a Siamese cat and who lives with Mr Washington, a business man who is always at work and therefore does not have time to wash fur or be strict. Pesky says that if he lived there he would be able to do whatever he liked. Oscar tells him that he gets his own supper, 'I'm quite good in the kitchen,' he says, but that he gets bored watching the same old shows on television. And he hates to get bored, he says.
A lop-eared rabbit, Nibbles, that Pesky knows works in a circus with Mr Hoopla and has an exciting life, swinging on the trapeze and tip-toeing on the high wire; Pesky says he would love to do that. But Nibbles tells him that hopping through hoops in a tutu and wearing a clown's nose can get quite tiring. Pesky thinks about this and decides that the circus life might be 'all a bit nerve wracking for me'.
He dreams about being owned by Miss StClair, who has a Scottie dog named Andrew and who enjoys just sitting by the fire, having supper on a tray and doing puzzles with Scottie in the evenings. Andrew tells Pesky that he feels very well looked after and that he enjoys going shopping with Miss StClair when he wears a matching coat to her. Pesky feels that clothes would not suit him but even so he would still like to be somebody's pet!
The following morning he goes to the pet shop and asks owner Miss Trill if she has an owner who might want him. She tells him that there is not much call for brown rats and after Pesky tells her that he is good company, will eat anything and is always popping up when least expected, she tells him that a notice in her window might attract an owner.
In paw (nice pun Lauren) writing, Pesky puts a notice in the shop window and waits, and waits and waits ... until ... Mr Fortescue spots the notice and, even though he has such bad eyesight, he manages to read it and says, 'I'll take him.' Mrs Trill is so surprised she asks, 'Are you sure?' 'Oh yes, I've been looking for a brown cat as nice as this one for ages,' replies Mr Fortescue. Pesky and Mrs Trill look at each other perplexed but neither say a word.
So Pesky has an owner; he just loves being a pet and he is very helpful around the house and is always there when Mr Fortescue comes home and he doesn't even bother if he has to wear a little jumper! Mr Fortescue regularly says, 'Well, Tiddles, who's a pretty kittycat?' And Pesky squeaks, 'I am!'
Everybody is happy in this rather touching, and well illustrated in the usual charming Lauren Child fashion, story.
He is known as the pesky rat because people say that he smells but he tells us that it is not his fault, 'it's the dirt'! He admits that he would love to have a name rather than 'that pesky rat' and that he would like to belong to someone, 'to be an actual pet'.
He has a friend, Pierre, who is a chinchilla and who has a very glamorous life because he is looked after by Madame Fifi, living in the lap of luxury in a fashionable apartment. When he visits he sits on a cushion but Madame Fifi does shampoo him once a week but he does not like having baths; he says, 'I am allergic to soap'.
He also has a friend Oscar, who is a Siamese cat and who lives with Mr Washington, a business man who is always at work and therefore does not have time to wash fur or be strict. Pesky says that if he lived there he would be able to do whatever he liked. Oscar tells him that he gets his own supper, 'I'm quite good in the kitchen,' he says, but that he gets bored watching the same old shows on television. And he hates to get bored, he says.
A lop-eared rabbit, Nibbles, that Pesky knows works in a circus with Mr Hoopla and has an exciting life, swinging on the trapeze and tip-toeing on the high wire; Pesky says he would love to do that. But Nibbles tells him that hopping through hoops in a tutu and wearing a clown's nose can get quite tiring. Pesky thinks about this and decides that the circus life might be 'all a bit nerve wracking for me'.
He dreams about being owned by Miss StClair, who has a Scottie dog named Andrew and who enjoys just sitting by the fire, having supper on a tray and doing puzzles with Scottie in the evenings. Andrew tells Pesky that he feels very well looked after and that he enjoys going shopping with Miss StClair when he wears a matching coat to her. Pesky feels that clothes would not suit him but even so he would still like to be somebody's pet!
The following morning he goes to the pet shop and asks owner Miss Trill if she has an owner who might want him. She tells him that there is not much call for brown rats and after Pesky tells her that he is good company, will eat anything and is always popping up when least expected, she tells him that a notice in her window might attract an owner.
In paw (nice pun Lauren) writing, Pesky puts a notice in the shop window and waits, and waits and waits ... until ... Mr Fortescue spots the notice and, even though he has such bad eyesight, he manages to read it and says, 'I'll take him.' Mrs Trill is so surprised she asks, 'Are you sure?' 'Oh yes, I've been looking for a brown cat as nice as this one for ages,' replies Mr Fortescue. Pesky and Mrs Trill look at each other perplexed but neither say a word.
So Pesky has an owner; he just loves being a pet and he is very helpful around the house and is always there when Mr Fortescue comes home and he doesn't even bother if he has to wear a little jumper! Mr Fortescue regularly says, 'Well, Tiddles, who's a pretty kittycat?' And Pesky squeaks, 'I am!'
Everybody is happy in this rather touching, and well illustrated in the usual charming Lauren Child fashion, story.
July 27, 2015
This book always makes me want to cry when I read it. It's the touching tale of a brown rat who lives in a dustbin and sleeps in a crisp packet. All he wants is to have an owner and a name. He has lots of friends who have owners, so he decides to put an advert in the pet shop window for an owner of his own.
Written in Lauren Child's trademark beautiful style and with her perfect collage illustrations, this was a deserved winner of the Smarties Award and runner up for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
And the brown rat gets a happily ever after ending! Yay! He ends up with a name and an owner.
Written in Lauren Child's trademark beautiful style and with her perfect collage illustrations, this was a deserved winner of the Smarties Award and runner up for the Kate Greenaway Medal.
And the brown rat gets a happily ever after ending! Yay! He ends up with a name and an owner.
September 22, 2020
I like this book mostly for the pictures and detail Child puts into the format of the words! The pictures in this book remind me a lot of the novel in-verse Crossover. The words are depicted in ways that help make the story interesting for the reader. For instance the words/sentences in some cases can be seen in a zig zag formation, as well as looking like they are descending like stairs.
October 20, 2017
I love this book. It's so funny and also love the illustrations. Reminds me of Cannonball Simp.
September 19, 2019
I really loved this book and the illustrations and the humour. Lauren Child writes some lovely children’s books and I think this is one KS2 children would enjoy too.
December 31, 2024
As a proud owner of pet rats, it’s nice to come across a kids’ book (or any book) that puts them in a positive light. There’s a serious message of finding contentment in this story, written to support UNICEF and based on the author’s experience in homelessness. It’s a charming read.
April 9, 2012
This is the story of a rat who longs to be a pet and have a real name, instead of “That Pesky Rat.” He has many friends who are pets and although each one points out the pitfalls of being a pet (weekly baths, embarrassing sweaters), the rat is still determined to be a pet. At the pet store he puts up an ad in the window. The rat’s dreams are fulfilled when old (and very blind) Mr. Fortesque adopts him as a pet and gives him a name. So what if Mr. Fortesque thinks he’s a cat and names him Tiddles?
The illustrations are done in Child’s signature collage style, with lots of bold colors and prints. The text is humorous and written from the rat’s perspective. The words zig and zag all over the pages, adding another exciting element to the book.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
The illustrations are done in Child’s signature collage style, with lots of bold colors and prints. The text is humorous and written from the rat’s perspective. The words zig and zag all over the pages, adding another exciting element to the book.
Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...
May 9, 2012
This is a touching story about a rat in search for a home. All the rat wants is to be a pet. He speaks to many other animals who have owners and finds it difficult to find someone to choose him. Eventaully he is choosen and the rat is no longer refered to as a pesky rat and for the first has a name. He helps his new owner in whatever way he can. Illustrations are modern and eye catching in Lauren Child's story of searching for belonging.
April 17, 2010
My two and half year old really liked this book so we read it many times. I thinks it's funny and I love the pictures. It's also a little unconventional because there is a little white lie at the end.
May 26, 2025
A rat wishes he had another life. Happily he is mistaken by a man with poor eyesight to be a cat, and he finally gets a home he loves.
December 19, 2016
A lot of chatter, but a nice solid conclusion.
November 15, 2024
Often times I will find a children's picture book I love for its illustrations, even though the story's not that involving and the characters just kinda meh. This is the opposite: I love the story, the rat is great, I'm emotionally engaged, but the visual choices are not my cup of tea. I'm especially irritated at the decision to put text all over the place. It doesn't seem to serve a purpose (like, for instance, in Alice in Wonderland and the Tale of the Mouse), it just makes it hard to read, and on one page I actually missed a section.
But the pesky rat who longs for a name and a home? That's terrific. So after posting this review, I'll be checking if Lauren Child has written longer form works, because she managed to move me in a few short pages with a few choice words, and that's hard to do.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
But the pesky rat who longs for a name and a home? That's terrific. So after posting this review, I'll be checking if Lauren Child has written longer form works, because she managed to move me in a few short pages with a few choice words, and that's hard to do.
(Note: I'm a writer, so I suffer when I offer fewer than five stars. But these aren't ratings of quality, they're a subjective account of how much I liked the book: 5* = an unalloyed pleasure from start to finish, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = disappointing, and 1* = hated it.)
December 27, 2019
A very funny insight into the life of a nameless rat, who, above all else, wishes he could one day become a pet. It can be a lonely life whiling away time in a dustbin, reviled by all who encounter him, whilst all the other animals get to spend time with humans! Whilst popular opinion does not appear to be on the little rat's side, there must be some way to find an owner... A very enjoyable story and one that certainly offers a refreshing perspective! I am sure children would love to hear what the rat has to say- not a voice that I have ever considered, but definitely one that sees and experiences a lot in this world. Child's illustrations and typography are as enticing as ever. I always enjoy her style and the way that the positioning of the text alters our reading and allows for pause in reading.
August 23, 2019
Very sweet little story about a rat who just wants to find a home! He can’t understand why people don’t seem to like him as he thinks he would be a very good pet! And in the end he proves that he can be and that sometimes we shouldn’t just judge a book by its cover!! I like how lots of his friends who have lovely homes still have something that they aren’t happy with! I kind of thought from this how some people are never satisfied and how greedy we can all be at times !! If we have somewhere to call home Where we feel loved and safe how lucky are we 😃 A lovely story for children with a sweet happy ending !
January 3, 2018
Really enjoyed it.Wonderful illustrations and clever use of collage,colour and word arrangements to create a lovely book.It has a moral that you don't need to compare yourself with others and believe the grass is greener there. The rat comes to realise he wants the simple things ,he wants a sense of belonging and a name of his own .Hell wear a jumper if he has to if it means he can be someone's pet with a name ! Clever use of ordinary teabags and crisp packet in a dustbin to create a rat bed..more like it please .Good resource for Art ,English and DT lessons .
August 13, 2019
A humorous take on life as a 'pest' and life as a 'pet'.
Somewhat fussy, the 'pesky rat' observes the pros and cons of being a pet from the discomfort of his bin. is the pet life all its cracked up to be? and will this pesky rat ever be able to find out first hand?
All this rat wants is a home where he can have a name and be accepted, teaching us that no matter what shape size or colour everyone deserves to have a home.
Somewhat fussy, the 'pesky rat' observes the pros and cons of being a pet from the discomfort of his bin. is the pet life all its cracked up to be? and will this pesky rat ever be able to find out first hand?
All this rat wants is a home where he can have a name and be accepted, teaching us that no matter what shape size or colour everyone deserves to have a home.
Read
April 2, 2022read this because I own rats lol. not really accurate rep of rats, like they wouldn't live alone as they're social animals, they're constantly cleaning themselves (although accurately said they don't like baths aka they shouldn't be given baths), people do actually want rats as pets etc, BUT I appreciate a story about a rat that shows how cute they are and doesn't demonise them. all in all, a good kids book.
August 16, 2017
The story of a rat who is desperate to have a home and belong, even if he has to wear silly clothes or have a bath, is made even more engaging and exciting by having to search for words that are hidden in the illustrations! Even though I would never normally feel any compassionate feelings towards a rat (fictional or real), I felt myself rooting for this one to find himself a home!
November 22, 2018
The Pesky Rat lives in Dustbin Number 3, Grubby Alley. People call him 'That Pesky Rat', but he longs for a real name, a home and someone to care for him.
Told in Lauren Child's distinctive collage illustrations, this is the story of Pesky Rat's quest 'to belong to somebody'… even if he does have to wear a jumper. It is both funny and touching
Told in Lauren Child's distinctive collage illustrations, this is the story of Pesky Rat's quest 'to belong to somebody'… even if he does have to wear a jumper. It is both funny and touching
September 25, 2019
A heart warming story about a little rat that finally finds a home and a name! Really lovely illustrations, and is written in a way where the text is arranged into the illustration, requiring readers to focus on the text. Think that a class would love ready this, and putting on silly voices for all of the characters!
December 2, 2024
This is now one of my favourite books. The story of a brown rat who lives in a bin but wants to be a pet and be given a name. The notice that he makes for the pet shop window advertising himself is the cutest thing!
Read the story for yourself, I’m sure the kids will love it too. The illustrations are wonderful also ❤️
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
Read the story for yourself, I’m sure the kids will love it too. The illustrations are wonderful also ❤️
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!
October 23, 2017
this book was a good story, but the text was hard to read. personally i like text that goes in straight lines the way its supposed to, not scattered all over the page. personally, i wish he would have found a home with a little boy who actually wanted a rat, but i'm glad he found a good home.
January 8, 2019
This is an adorable book about a pesky alley rat who wants to be a pet. He talks about the lives of pets he knows and what he likes and doesn't like. And then he writes himself an ad to see if anyone will take him.
August 4, 2020
Not sure of the message ? Is it compromise ?
Others' lives are not always as good as they may seem from the outside.
Bold, colourful illustrations.
I dont like the writing displayed in different sizes - odd & off putting
Others' lives are not always as good as they may seem from the outside.
Bold, colourful illustrations.
I dont like the writing displayed in different sizes - odd & off putting
August 5, 2020
A great story for young children about a rat who wants to belong to a family. He ends up in a pet shop with a note asking for a home. He is taken home by a blind man who thinks he is a cat which is funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 2, 2020This book is a good read to young readers just as a story but also as a book to learn from. The book can teach kids that just because other peoples lives may look more glamorous than yours, that doesn't mean that it actually is. There are pros and cons to everyone's lives.
August 24, 2021
The story is quite cute. It's about a brown rat who lives in a dump bin. He wants to be a pet. But he dislikes to be bath, doesn't want to feel bored, and doesn't like to wear clothes.
In the end, he does want to do everything that can make him become somebody's pet
In the end, he does want to do everything that can make him become somebody's pet
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews