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Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Cyril And Pat by Emily Gravett. Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 2018


Cyril is the only squirrel in Lake Park, and he’s very lonely. Until one day he meets Pat – Pat the big, grey . . . other squirrel. Cyril and Pat have lots of adventures and fun together and Cyril is so pleased he’s made a friend. But everyone is adamant that Cyril and Pat simply cannot be friends, and they soon reveal why: Pat, as the reader has known all along, is actually a RAT!
But Cyril’s life turns out to be a lot duller and quite a bit scarier without Pat by his side, and in the end the two friends learn that some things are more important than being the same, or listening to others.

A sweet rhyming tale about friendship between two friends of different species. They don't know this, of course. All Cyril knows is that Pat is a real joker, a brilliant sharer and comes up with the best games. And that's all that matters, until the other park inhabitants pressure to Cyril to end it. There is, of course, a moral about human friendships and not bowing to pressure. It is certainly something to discuss with the children with whom you read it.  
The art is delightful,  not only the main characters, but all the animals and the background, with its peaceful park and old buildings.
For children from about 3-5. Available from all good bookshops and the usual bookseller web sites.

4 comments:

AJ Blythe said...

I like rhyming stories. One of my favourites and one I've kept even though the Barbarians are well past picture books is Graham Base's "The Worst Band in the Universe". Love that book =)

Sue Bursztynski said...

Graeme Base is for everyone! Did you get the one with the CD in it? Graeme Base showed he can do more than write and draw!

AJ Blythe said...

No!! I didn't know there was one. Although I adored the chance to read it aloud to the Barbarians, so maybe I'm just a little pleased I didn't get it.

Sue Bursztynski said...

The CD came with the hardcover, and was Graeme Base and his band playing music from the story.