Ratbags: Naughty for Good by Tim Harris, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon

Title: Ratbags: Naughty for Good

Author: Tim Harris, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon

Genre: Humour

Publisher: Puffin

Published: 28^th February 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 192

Price: $14.99

Synopsis: From award-winning bestselling author and funnyman, Tim Harris, comes this stupendously rat-tastic new series. These are the Ratbags. They have pizza, and they are NOT afraid to use it.

Let’s face it – rats are mischief. Rats are rule-breakers. Rats are ratbags. They’re all the same. All, that is, except one…

When Jigsaw runs into two of the most ratbaggy Ratbags known to rats, his orderly world is turned upside down and he pulls off one of the best pizza heists EVER! Will his newfound pizza obsession make Jigsaw the naughtiest Ratbag yet? Or will Jigsaw figure out how to be naughty – for good?!

Brace yourself for a rip-roaring ride into the world of the Ratbags.

~*~

Tim Harris is back with a new graphic novel – and another in a great selection of graphic novels with animals as leading characters, so it sits amongst Real Pigeons and Furball as an exciting series for younger readers or readers who enjoy funny books and graphic novels. In this book, we meet Jigsaw, a rat who likes rules, and humans, and routine, and enjoys playing piano. What he doesn’t like is rule breaking, mischief, and being naughty. But he is lonely, and one day he runs into two of the naughtiest rats around – Onion and Ripple! Soon Jigsaw is pulled into a world of ratbaggery and mischief, stealing pizzas from the local pizzeria, Pecky’s Pizzas. But Onion and Ripple didn’t realise that they were about to unlock a pizza obsession in Jigsaw, and things start to go very wrong indeed. So what will Jigsaw do – continue his life of order and rules, or give into temptation, crime, and obsession?

And so, Jigsaw must make a decision – as we all must do throughout our lives. Whether to do to right thing or not, and if we do something bad, how do we make it up to the people we have hurt? Jigsaw is smart and determined, and he has skills that his new friends don’t – so it is up to Jigsaw to call on these skills to save the day.

Tim Harris has created a new and vibrant set of characters that readers of all ages will find amusing and I think the good thing about this book is that it doesn’t talk down to kids, it doesn’t condescend to the reader. It finds that exceptionally good balance of being a book that uses language effectively and simply for a broad range of reading levels and interests. For some, it will be a quick read, and for others it will be one that helps them build their reading confidence. I think this is one that will also stand out on the shelves as something colourful and fun – and as it is by an Australian author, I hope to see it front and centre! We have some great novels of all kinds by Australian authors around at the moment, and I love that we do.

Another great Tim Harris book!