Product Description

Attracted by a sale at the pet store, a boy tries to decide which animal to buy with his money.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #816456 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The narrator of this beguiling lift-the-flap book spies a sign in a pet shop announcing: "Everything Must Go!"; an unexpected sales pitch ensues?as does an unobtrusive lesson in counting and adding. Hiding behind the lift-the-flap sign is a tiny rat missing half of his whiskers, calling, "I'm only 1 cent! Choose me!" As the rat tries to talk the boy out of purchasing a variety of other increasingly pricey pets, his tactics will amuse readers of all ages. Seeing three creatures, concealed under a sign advertising a salamander, skink and gecko, the child asks which one is which and the rat quips, "Nobody knows! Nobody cares!.... Sausages on legs! You don't want one of THOSE!" A gatefold with an unexpected pop-up brings this tale to a cheerful close. Funny text, an amiable menagerie, sturdy pages and some inventive extras (the rat has bitten off the corner of one page, to prove to his prospective owner that he isn't a fussy eater) make this paper-over-board volume almost as irresistible as its fast-talking protagonist. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-When a young boy sees a sign on the pet shop door proclaiming, "EVERYTHING MUST GO!" he enters-only to be badgered by a pesky rat who wants the boy to buy him. The rat, on sale for one cent, follows the youngster as he counts off the usual and unusual animals that are available at bargain rates. The price tags increase, all the way up to 10 cents, which would buy the boy a box of "assorted little brown creatures." "Boring! Boring! Boring!" shouts the rat. "I'm not boring!" The steal of the millennium is a Komodo dragon for just 25 cents. This silences the bothersome rat, who sadly exclaims, "You're not going to choose me, are you?" Inkpen keeps the pages clean and neat with plenty of white space surrounding his animals. Lift-the-flap tabs are utilized throughout the story, although they don't really offer any surprises. The back page folds out to show the boy counting his cash ("$1.00 exactly") and collecting his purchases-the entire store, including the rat.
Lisa Gangemi Krapp, formerly at Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
An Everything Must Go sign attracts the young, bespectacled narrator into a pet shop, where he immediately spots a rat for one cent. As the boy examines the parrot, platypus, koala, and other animals, the anxious rat points out its own sterling qualities and disparages the others. The salamander, skink, and gecko are merely "sausages on legs!" and others are "Boring! Boring! Boring!" At the Komodo dragon, the rat begins to despair, but the boy has a dollar, enough to purchase the entire menagerie, rat included. In the soft watercolor illustrations, all the creatures seem as sweet and engaging as stuffed animals, but the irrepressible rat makes the simple story sparkle. Some of the animals lurk under flaps, and the final page unfolds, revealing a pop-up pelican. Although appealing, this paper engineering may not withstand heavy library circulation, making this a more appealing choice for story hours. Linda Perkins

Customer Reviews

my son loves this book!
My two and a half year old son loves reading this book! He loves to see the rat on every page, and enjoys discovering the animals behind the flaps. Wonderful ending too. Mick Inkpen is great as usual. We have read this book at least twice a day for the last few weeks!

Great math skills as well as a great book
I had to buy my own copy of this book after finding it in the public library and reading it to my Kindergarten class. The children love the story. I usually change my voice to sound like a very cute but annoying rat. The children also get a kick when they see how the rat has eaten part of a page from the book. I use this book every year to teach money skills to my children. The low price tags and good clear pictures make it a must. We add up the cost of all the animals and see if the total is correct. We also give the children different amounts of money to go shopping with in the Pet Store. An excellent investment!!!!!

Wonderful for math skills. Whimsical, humorous get-down fun
Fun and challenging developer of math skills. Wonderful for pet/animal lovers. Best rat character ever. Small children/pre-schoolers will love the pictures and pull tabs. Older school age children will be challenged by the math.