Tim Harris (text) and Shiloh Gordon (illustrator), Best of Pests (Ratbags #3), Penguin Random House, July 2023, 192 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk) ISBN 9780143777472
This is the third outing for the kind-hearted Jigsaw and his ratbag mates, Onion and Ripple and their new friend, Fancy Rat. At the beginning of this volume, the rats find a note from their favourite pizza supplier Mr Pecky warning them to ‘be careful’. Next thing they know, a dastardly human to the rats as White Boots and a Robot Mink are on a mission to clear the town of pests.
As if this isn’t scary enough, now the friends must contend with (gasp) no pizza! Good rat, Jigsaw, helps their foe, Cracker the cat, to dispose of the villains. Why? So that he can eat the rats himself. And thus, normality – such as it is in this zany rat-filled world – is restored. Children who have enjoyed following the rule-abiding Jigsaw on his previous adventures will enjoy this new addition to the series. However, there’s a little recap at the beginning for new readers too.
Designed for reluctant readers, this series is suited to middle primary readers.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
