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Roger the Rat is on the Loose!

Roger the Rat is on the Loose!
Mimi and Maty to the Rescue! #1
by Brooke Smith
ill. by Alli Arnold
New York : Better World Kids Books : Skyhorse Pub., c2012
83 pages, intermediate chapter book

Mimi's Aunt Bee sent her a special notebook in the mail. It is to record her adventures as she rescues animals. Mimi has saved everything from her three-legged dog Maty to a butterfly in a mud puddle. Now that she has her official notebook she is officially in business. Thanks to her colorful advertisements she gets a customer immediately.  Mimi and Maty need to track down a lonely Dumbo Rat who has gone in search of his owner. The simple and colorful cartoon-like illustrations add to the fun of the story. This new series is a great choice for kids just starting the transition into chapter books.

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