Rats on the Roof and Other Stories

From Publishers Weekly
In seven illustrated stories of varying size and levels of sophistication, this Caldecott Honor artist introduces an array of lively anthropomorphized animals in amusing predicaments. Otis and Sophie Dog cannot sleep because of the cavorting rats that dance on the roof of their house. When the couple advertises for a cat to oust the intruders, a pompous, nattily dressed tomcat with some outrageous demands applies for the job. Other tales deal with a wolf who goes to great lengths to ensnare two unsuspecting sheep; a conniving cat tossed out on his ear after crashing a mouse wedding; and a vain frog who abruptly ceases to brag about his "magnificent legs" when he reads a recipe that calls for sauteed frogs' legs. As always, Marshall charges his text and pictures with a zany humor that will bewitch adults and children alike. Ages 6-10. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- This collection of seven silly stories is written for slightly older readers than Marshall's usual fare, but his high-spirited wackiness is recognizable. Each concerns the foibles of animals and their various ways of outwitting each other. In the title story, Otis and Sophie Dog have had a sleepless night filled with "the sound of little dancing feet and shrill musical instruments," and decide they need a cat. In the end, though, the rats leave the roof for reasons other than the Dogs or readers expect. In other tales, sheep escape the wolf in spite of their stupidity; a mouse bride frightens an intrusive cat; an owl deters an tree-chomping brontosaurus; a swan is rescued from a fox despite her bad judgment; a frog loudly admires his own legs until he discovers they can be sauteed; and a goose unwittingly befriends new wolf neighbors. The black-and-white illustrations are in perfect tune with the spirit of the tellings. Those just beginning to read chapter books should find that this is just the thing to tickle their funnybones. --Carolyn Jenks, Oyster River Elementary School, Durham, NHCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
The author-illustrator of a fine array of comical easy readers, picture books, and creatively retold nursery tales adopts a new genre. With irreverent spoofs of contemporary themes, offbeat humor, snappy dialogue, and delightful plot twists, these seven brief animal stories are vintage Marshall. Two feckless sheep put a threatening wolf to sleep with their inane chatter; a huge mouse averts a tragedy by literally hurling a cat-intruder out of her wedding reception; a frog preens himself on his handsome legs until he reads an embarrassing French recipe; a convocation of birds prevents a rude but vegetarian brontosaurus from eating the tree where an owl has its nest when the birds crowd the tree and spoil the dinosaur's appetite by suggesting how awful they would taste. The villains are always foiled here, but the outcomes are deliciously unpredictable. Occasional b&w drawings extend the humorous characterizations. Sure appeal; a natural for reading aloud. (Fiction/Young reader. 6-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Card catalog description
An illustrated collection of seven stories about various animals, including a frog with magnificent legs, a hungry brontosaurus, and a mouse who gets married.


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Gr 2-4-- This collection of seven silly stories is written for slightly older readers than Marshall's usual fare, but his high-spirited wackiness is recognizable. Each concerns the foibles of animals and their various ways of outwitting each other. In the title story, Otis and Sophie Dog have had a sleepless night filled with ``the sound of little dancing feet and shrill musical instruments,'' and decide they need a cat. In the end, though, the rats leave the roof for reasons other than the Dogs or readers expect. In other tales, sheep escape the wolf in spite of their stupidity; a mouse bride frightens an intrusive cat; an owl deters an tree-chomping brontosaurus; a swan is rescued from a fox despite her bad judgment; a frog loudly admires his own legs until he discovers they can be sauteed; and a goose unwittingly befriends new wolf neighbors. The black-and-white illustrations are in perfect tune with the spirit of the tellings. Those just beginning to read chapter books should find that this is just the thing to tickle their funnybones. --Carolyn Jenks, Oyster River Elementary School, Durham, NH


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