The rollicking adventurous picture book from the number one bestselling author and illustrator of The Gruffalo, Stick Man and Zog.

‘Give me your buns and your biscuits!
Give me your chocolate eclairs!
For I am the Rat of the highway,
and the Rat Thief never shares!’

Life is not safe for the other animals, as the villainous Highway Rat gallops along the highway, stealing their food. Clover from a rabbit; nuts from a squirrel – he even steals his own horse’s hay.

Will he finally meet his comeuppance, in the form of a cunning duck?

• Sturdy board pages with softly rounded corners are perfect for little ones
• A fabulous, rollicking rhyme, in the style of the famous Alfred Noyes poem, ‘The Highwayman’, from the UK’s number one picture book author and illustrator
• Perfect read-aloud rhyming text and stunning pictures on every page with lots of details to spot
• Adventure, friendship and learning to be kind are at the heart of this story
• The Highway Rat has been adapted into a popular animated film starring voices from David Tennant (Highway Rat), Nina Sosanya (Duck), Rob Brydon (Horse), Tom Hollander (Squirrel) and Frances de la Tour (Rabbit)
• The animated film of Tabby McTat stars voice artists including Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the narrator, Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) as Fred, Sope Dirisu (Gangs of London) as Tabby McTat, alongside Cariad Lloyd, Joanna Scanlan and Susan Wokoma.
• Look out for Jonty Gentoo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler in 2024.

 

‘A classic picture book … great to read aloud’ BBC Radio 4