Another picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler just in time for Christmas! The team that brought us so many wonderful stories, including The Gruffalo, Tabby McTat and Zog, has another rhyming tale of shenanigans in the forest to entertain us.

The rat of the title is a bad-tempered baddie dressed like one of the three musketeers in a mask and cape, riding a downtrodden horse. He steals all the food belonging to the animals along the highway, complaining all the while how unappetising it is. He’s rude and demanding and quite simply, a beast. But a clever little duck finally teaches him an important lesson and restores order in the forest. This is a delightful rhyming tale that rolls off the tongue and will be enjoyed by parents and children alike.

Angela Crocombe is from Readings St Kilda