The Red-Hot Rattoons [Hardcover]

Elizabeth Winthrop (Author), Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

A rollicking adventure about five tap-dancing country rats who come to the Big City to seek fame, with drawings by Betsy Lewin

Armed with a boom box, a stage wardrobe, and a tube of city maps, five tap-dancing country rats, who call themselves the Rattoons, set off to seek their fame in Rat Hollow-the rat community that pulses with a life all its own beneath the streets of New York City.

But when Rat Hollow turns its back on them, the Rattoons break the law and take their act aboveground to dance for humans in front of the Metropolitan Museum, only to find that danger assails them from every direction. So the Rattoons turn to Oliver String Bean Bailey, the legendary human impresario who knows rat speak. Will he help them achieve their dancing dream?

A rollicking fun-filled adventure, The Red-Hot Rattoons tells the story of a band of lovable characters whose loyalty to one another proves more important than fame and glory.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-The rats of NIMH have nothing on Benny, Fletcher, Ella, Woody, and Monk, five young jazz- and tap-dancing rats who set out for the fabled Big City in hopes of seeing their names in lights. Making the Big Time turns out to be no walk in the park-well, actually, it does, as the Rattoons escape a misguided and near-fatal debut on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art by diving into Central Park's shrubbery. Escaping hawks, dogs, poison, and other hazards, the troupe then makes its way to Rat Hollow, a bustling subterranean burg whose residents can chow down on tasty garbage provided at the "ratomat" between visits to the Performing Rats Library. Ultimately, the Rattoons ascend to the massively grandiloquent "Crystal" (known to humans as Radio City Music Hall), where an impromptu performance during the Holiday Hullabaloo earns the quintet not only a standing "O" from the stunned audience but a marquee billing with their names in four-foot letters to boot. Lewin's sketches of tiny, high-stepping rats add stylish notes at each chapter's head, and Rat Hollow, which mirrors the thinly disguised New York aboveground, provides a side-splitting backdrop to this engaging tale of life on (and beneath) the boards.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Lewin's sketches of tiny, high-stepping rats add stylish notes at each chapter's head, and Rat Hollow, which mirrors that thinly disguised New York above ground, provides a side-splitting backdrop to this engaging tale of life on (and beneath) the boards." ---School Library Journal

Winthrop. . . .delivers a lively, jazz-inspired treat for preteens." --VOYA

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805072292
• ISBN-13: 978-0805072297
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,149,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ELIZABETH WINTHROP is the author of over fifty works of fiction for all ages.

Her most recent historical novel, COUNTING ON GRACE has been chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council among others. The novel has also been nominated for state book awards in Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri,Indiana, Hawaii and Arizona.

Elizabeth has published more than fifty books for readers of all ages. THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC, nominated for twenty-three state book awards is currently under option to Walden Media.

Her popular picture books include DUMPY LA RUE, SHOES,DOG SHOW, SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE and most recently, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING and THE BIGGEST PARADE. Two of her recent books for older children are THE RED-HOT RATTOONS, a comic fantasy novel and DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, Letters from a Milltown Girl, a work of historical fiction set in western Massachusetts.

Elizabeth is also the author of two novels for adults, IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE and ISLAND JUSTICE. She is currently at work on a memoir.

The daughter of the journalist, Stewart Alsop,she divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, exciting, gripping, December 1, 2004

By 

Colette T. Bezio "inkwolf" (SEYMOUR, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red-Hot Rattoons (Hardcover)

A book about dancing rats. Doesn't sound like a sure-fire winner, does it? But this tale of perserverance and determination makes a wonderful and gripping read. The fantasy rat world is only half the story--the other half is the fascinating account of the hard work, training, and innovation of the dance troupe. By the time the Rattoons get to Rat Hollow, you know how very hard they've worked, and you're rooting for their success. Not only was this a fun read, but it was an interesting and eye-opening look at the work that professional dancers put in before they're ready for the Boom-Boom Room.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tail (PUN INTENDED) Of Uncommon Valor..., October 28, 2003

By 

Portianay "portianay" (KY, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Red-Hot Rattoons (Hardcover)

... uncommon, because the valor is demonstrated by a group of five rat siblings. Each lives out his/her own quirks, qualities, and weaknesses, but more importantly, as a whole, they demonstrate the power of a group united by a dream. Along with all of *that,* it is a rollicking good read, full of adventures and mishaps, with eventual victory, though a surprising one! A terrific book for fourth through seventh graders.