The Red Balloon Bookshop

Description

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Emmy was a good girl.At least she tried very hard to be good. She did her homework without being told. She ate all her vegetables, even the slimy ones. And she never talked back to her nanny, Miss Barmy, although it was almost impossible to keep quiet, some days.

She really was a little too good. Which is why she liked to sit by the Rat. The Rat was not good at all . . .

Hilarious, inventive, and irresistably rodent-friendly, this is a fantastic first novel from acclaimed picture book author Lynne Jonell. The Rat was not good at all. When the children at Grayson Lake Elementary reached in to feed him, he snapped at their fingers. When they had a little trouble with fractions, he sneered. And he often made cutting remarks in a low voice when the teacher was just out of earshot.

Emmy was the only one who heard him. And even she wondered sometimes if she were just imagining things.

One Wednesday in May, when not one person had seemed to notice her all morning, Emmy asked to stay indoors for recess. “I have spelling to study,” she explained to Mr. Herbifore.

The teacher, hurrying out after his class, didn’t look at her as he nodded permission. At least Emmy thought he had nodded…

“Thank you,” said Emmy. And then she heard something that sounded—oddly—like a snort. She looked at the Rat, and he snorted again. He was scowling, as usual.

“Why are you always so mean?” Emmy wondered aloud.

She didn’t expect the Rat to answer. She had tried to speak to him before, and he had always pretended not to hear.

But this time he curled his upper lip. “Why are you always so good?”

Emmy was too startled to respond.

The Rat shrugged one furry shoulder. “It doesn’t get you anywhere. Just look at you—missing recess to study words you could spell in your sleep—and the only thing that happens is, you get ignored.”

Emmy looked away. It was true. She didn’t want to tell the Rat, but she didn’t mind missing recess at all. For Emmy, recess was a time when she felt more alone than ever.

“The bad ones get all the attention,” said the Rat. “Try being bad for once. You might like it.”

About the Author

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LYNNE JONELL’s picture books have received critical acclaim and been published in seven languages. This is her first novel. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center and lives with her husband in Plymouth,Minnesota.


JONATHAN BEAN has a master’s degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He has illustrated several books for young readers, including Mokie and Bik. He lives in New York City. 

Praise for Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat…

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* “A droll fantasy with an old-fashioned sweep and a positively cinematic cast.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “A mystery is cleverly woven into this fun and, at times, hilarious caper, and children are likely to find themselves laughing out loud . . . a delightful read.”

—School Library Journal, starred review

* “Jonell takes readers on a merry, sometimes scary romp . . . this turns smoothly on its fanciful premise and fabulous characters.”

—Booklist, starred review

 “Fun and funny, this fast-paced page turner appropriately begins and ends with the unforgettable Rat in an acrobatic flip-book feature.”
—Kirkus Reviews