Just Me and 6,000 Rats by Rick Walton

I know I know. It's been too long. But the fall is a busy touring season, and then I was coordinating the Canadian Children's Book Week touring illustrator here on Vancouver Island so I have a pretty good excuse.

I picked up this very funny picture book a while back that I just adore, and if you are a teacher, parent or kid, you will too. It's called Just Me and 6,000 Rats: a tale of conjunctions by Rick Walton, with illustrations by Mike and Carl Gordon. This is one of those totally understated stories where the illustrations belie the text in the funnies of ways. When a kid decides to visit the city, it's no surprise that he wants to do it all: ride the elevator to the top of a skyscraper, visit the museum, and even watch a pro baseball game. Most boys don't bring along rats; especially not 6,000 of them. Hilarious reactions ensue, but along the way, each scene is connected with conjunctions. The utter absurdity of the story allows a little grammar to go a long way. Look for this one today.