Ratty's Big Adventure
In this beautifully illustrated picture book from Lara Hawthorne, a mysterious creature from a secluded volcano crater explores the outside world for the very first time . . . but it is not what he expects it to be! Will his adventure teach him there is no place like home?
Ratty, an ENORMOUS woolly, vegetarian rat, lives deep inside the crater of an ancient volcano nestled in the rainforest. One day, he spies a delicious-looking fruit high in the treetops, and sets out to reach it. From this vantage point a spectacular view stretches before him - the world outside his mountain crater.
In this big outside world, Ratty imagines, the fruit must be much sweeter, the bird songs more beautiful and the other animals far more interesting and sophisticated, and so he sets off in search of better things. But when he is asked to attend a dinner party by a crocodile who seems just a bit too friendly, Ratty realises that perhaps there is no place like home after all.
Inspired by the scientific breakthroughs of Mount Bosavi, Papua New Guinea in which over 40 new species of animals and plants were identified, Lara Hawthorne seamlessly combines story and fact in this picture book which celebrates the diversity of life, and being thankful for what you have!
Lara Hawthorne is an illustrator and author who graduated from Falmouth University in 2013. Her debut picture book, Herb, was published in 2014, followed by her illustrations for Carol Ann Duffy's The King of Christmas (Picador, 2016). Known for her delicate watercolour style, Lara draws inspiration from nature, myths and legends to create intricate small worlds. Her acclaimed titles include The Night Flower - winner of the 2020 CBHL Annual Literature Award - Alba the Hundred Year Old Fish, and the nature-themed Ratty's Big Adventure and Herbert's Garden. She has also been shortlisted for awards including the AOI's WIA and the Lowry Children's Book Prize.