How to Save Your Tail... by Mary Hanson

Bob is a rat who loves nothing more than reading a good book, except for cookies. One day he gets lost in a fabulous book while baking some delicious butter cookies. He is discovered by two cats who decide he will make a lovely afternoon snack. Bob delays their meal with some very clever storytelling, and some fresh-baked cookies of course. The stories are twisted versions of traditional fairy tales. The main characters are always rats, generally ancestors of Bob. Will Bob run out of stories before the cats change their minds about eating him? How to Save Your Tail: If You are a Rat Nabbed by Cats Who Really Like Stories About Magic Spoons, Wolves with Snout-warts, Big, Hairy Chimney Trolls . . . and Cookies Too is an entertaining parody of The Arabian Nights and a variety of fairy tales. The black and white illustrations throughout the book fit well with the story and add to the humor. At only 93 pages this will be a winner for the beginning chapter book crowd, but is a fun read for all ages.

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