Product Description

"Don’t need friends, don’t need ’em at all," grumbles Rat each day as he makes his morning rounds of the junkyard, searching for scraps. Ever since Rat’s best friend, Possum, moved away, Rat has been too lonesome and grumpy to enjoy anybody else’s company. But one day, a dog moves in–a dog who’s even grouchier than Rat. It’s a friendship made in junkyard heaven, but it will take a bitterly cold winter and an act of surprising generosity to turn the battling duo into the dearest of chums.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78870 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-12
• Released on: 2001-06-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780440415329
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Rat is devastated when his best friend moves out of the junkyard, and he meets his match when Dog moves in. A starred PW review said the author and illustrator "are in perfect sync in this slyly funny and deeply touching story." Ages 4-8. (June)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-When Possum moves away and leaves his friend behind, Rat turns his back on the other inhabitants of the junkyard, muttering, "Don't need friends, don't need 'em at all." Children will appreciate the snappy dialogue that is flung back and forth between Rat and a curmudgeonly stray dog that moves in, and they'll realize (long before the two animals do) that the two were meant to be friends. Munsinger's pen-and-watercolor illustrations make the junkyard look messy without being utterly dreary and the dog and rat are imbued with plenty of personality and pizzazz. Pair this story with both traditional and nontraditional friendship titles, such as Kevin Henkes's Chester's Way (Greenwillow, 1988) or Marjorie Sharmat's I'm Terrific (Holiday, 1977), for an interesting mix.
Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"[A] slyly funny and deeply touching story."? Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Munsinger?s expressive, detailed line-and-watercolor pictures capture the grouchy nonsense and also the real feelings." ? Booklist -- Review

Customer Reviews

This author is brilliant!
This is a charming book. Your child will learn the most fundamental lesson in life...the value of true friendship.

The very best
This is absolutely the best book I have used with K-3 students relating to friendship. The children love the book and sit mesmerized while I read it to them. The characters and illustrations are delightful. The children easily respond to the message the book gives. As an elementary school counselor I have used it in friendship groups and for classroom guidance. There seems to be something magic about this book for the children.

Smart, hilarious portrait of friendship lost and found
This story is a very subtle portrayal of lost friendship, the pain that follows it and building new friendships. The story opens with a mouse and a possum, two very close friends, one of which moves away. The remaining friend (the mouse) finds this loss too painful to take a chance on making new friends. He says to himself "Don't need friends....don't need them at all" with a tearful look in his eye. With those who try to make friends with him, he becomes a cynical grump who seems to be very unfriendly. Then an equally grumpy dog moves in and the two grumps learn to understand and make friends with each other.

Children and adults will enjoy this story. It validates the pain one feels with loss and the fear of taking a chance with another friendship that often accompanies that loss. It is tender, funny and smart. It is also a fairly easy reader for young people practicing their reading skills.