Dirty Rats?
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Nobody likes a rat. And we're not talking about a snitch here. We're talking about those disgusting bald-tailed rodents that scurry around alleys and in the subway. But, hold on . . . are rats really so bad? There are hundreds of rat species all around the world that defy common stereotypes. Rats help predators survive, allow plants to spread their seeds, and even contribute to medical research that helps humans stay healthy. Simple, clear text introduces many of the rats that crawl on the earth today, where they live, what they eat, and how they survive. Next time you see a rat, take a second look.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Few animals are as maligned as rats, something mammal specialist Lunde knows well. "Dirty rats. Their beady eyes and naked tails make us scream. Eek! Aargh! Yikes!" he writes as a frightened woman in hair curlers tries to sweep rats off her apartment's fire escape. Lunde sets out to challenge misconceptions about these ubiquitous rodents, while introducing different rats from around the world, pointing out how they vary significantly from those seen in urban subway stations ("Not all rats have ugly, naked tails. The bushy-tailed cloud rat's tail is completely covered in fur"). Readers learn how rats scatter seeds that enable plants to grow and how laboratory rats help find cures for disease. Gustavson's typically lush oil paintings do their part to help sway opinions his sewer rats come across as intelligent, curious, and even adorable. Ages 3 7.
