I Was a Rat! Or, The Scarlet Slippers and The Scarecrow and his Servant

by Philip Pullman

Peter Bailey (Illustrator)

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Book cover for I Was a Rat! Or, The Scarlet Slippers and The Scarecrow and his Servant

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‘I was a rat!’ So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe it’s true, but what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers? The Daily Scourge is sure of it. A victim of ‘Rodent Delusion’? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground attraction? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. Or is Roger just an ordinary little boy? Only three people believe this version of the story, and it may take a royal intervention–and a bit of magic–to convince everyone
else. A playful parody of the press, I Was a Rat! is a magical weaving of humour, fairy tale, and adventure.

When, in A Scarecrow and His Servant, a bolt of lightning brings Scarecrow to life, he proves to be a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant and the two embark upon a terrifying series of adventures–including battles, brigands, broken hearts, and treasure islands. But little does the Scarecrow know that he is being followed by a family who desperately wishes he’d never sprung to life.

Two stories of myth, magic and adventure from the master teller of tales.

  • ISBN10 1841599557
  • ISBN13 9781841599557
  • Publish Date 4 September 2025
  • Publish Status Forthcoming
  • Publish Country GB
  • Publisher Everyman
  • Imprint Everyman's Library Children's Classics
  • Format Hardcover
  • Pages 438
  • Language English