The New Neighbours

In Pickle Rye, rats have moved into the ground-floor flat. The bunnies are very excited about it, and hop down from the roof to see Lettuce, who goes to tell Vern the sheep about it. But Vern is concerned that rats might not be very tidy as neighbours, and suggests that they gather all the residents of Pickle Rye to discuss the matter.

Indeed, Matilda the Pig thinks rats smell bad, and Lars the Polar Bear thinks the rats will steal everyone’s food. By the time the crowd get down to see Granny Goat, they’ve convinced themselves that the rats are going to make the building fall down AND bury them alive in rat poo. Yet, when Bertram and Natasha open the door, they aren’t quite what anyone expected – and they have cake…

Sarah McIntyre returns to Pickle Rye, the setting for her comic Vern and Lettuce, in this clever, tumbly book about tolerance and not believing gossip. Existing fans and new readers will love all of her customary attention to detail – the 70s décor is a delight, as are the background scenes – as well as the message about being a good neighbour.