Ratbags: Dummy Spit

Ratbags: Dummy Spit by Tim Harris and Shiloh Gordon (Puffin Books) PB RRP$14.99 ISBN 9781761346088

The Ratbags have their hands full when a toddler ratbag crashes into town. But where did he come from? Between the muffin mayhem and hairy heists, can Jigsaw and his friends find the missing parents in time. Or will they have to deal with the dreaded dummy spit?

Award-winning bestselling author Tim Harris is back with the fifth instalment of the wildly popular Ratbags series. Readers are once again transported into the rat-tastically funny world of Jigsaw and his friends.

With lively black and white illustrations on every page, this is a book for children aged 7+ years.

Ratbags: Best of Pests

Ratbags: Best of Pests by Tim Harris, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon (Puffin) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN9780143777472

It would be interesting to know how the author and illustrator work together to produce these books: it is necessary to read both written text and illustrations together in this mostly visual book. There are three ratbags: Ripple, Fancy Rat, and Onion, but Jigsaw is a polite, law-abiding rat.

The story starts outside Pecky’s Pizza, the best pizza place in the city where the rats get free pizza from the owner, Mr Pecky. This time Pecky also leaves a note with the pizza advising the rats to be careful. The rats find a newspaper with the heading, ‘Rat Problem Remains’, telling readers that a cutting-edge pest control unit has been brought in. This turns out to mean that rat traps with tempting peanut butter lures are scattered all over the ground near rubbish piles. Mr Pecky is also asked by the council not to give free pizza to rats as it encourages them.

Then a robot mink with laser eyes starts patrolling the streets. Will humans succeed with their latest scheme? Or can Jigsaw help the ratbags to be the best of pests?

This is a mostly visual book with appealing black, white and grey cartoon illustrations and plenty of different typefaces which is sure to be enjoyed by readers aged 8+ years. 

Ratbags: Naughty for Good

Ratbags: Naughty for Good by Tim Harris, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon (Puffin Books) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9780143777441

Reviewed by Grace Power

Tim Harris’ writing style has seen his books receive multiple awards, including two KOALA Honour books, and a CBCA Notable. Now he publishes a humorous book for middle grade readers about a cartoonish rat, Jigsaw, so named because he does not fit in with other rats. ‘He is like a puzzle piece that will not squeeze into place, no matter how hard it is pressed.’ Other rats are ratbags, always up to no good. They clog up city sewers, chew through power lines, poop on the footpath, and cause all manner of trouble.

The main problem with Jigsaw is that he likes rules, in fact lives his life full of rules. For example, every morning he makes his bed, brushes his teeth, dusts his books, and practises piano (for exactly thirty minutes.) On the other hand, there are two typical ratbags, Ripple and Onion, who have just escaped from a science lab where humans did cruel experiments on them. They are anti-rule and try to get Jigsaw to follow their lifestyle of mayhem and chaos.

When a new pizza restaurant opens, there’s an opportunity for Ripple and Onion to encourage Jigsaw into a life of ratbaggery, which includes stealing a whole pizza.

This is a book filled on every page with lively, engaging illustrations which are sure to draw in even the most reluctant reader. There are plenty of speech balloons and type fonts of all different sizes. Reading the text means that the reader’s eyes jump all over the pages. It’s a lot of fun and the story moves along at a cracking pace.