Smudge [Hardcover]

John Rowe (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Smudge is old now. But he has many stories to tell, and this is one of them. Long ago, before his tail became stiff like a broom handle, when Smudge was just a baby, he was spirited away from his sunny garden by a big bird who carried him back to her nest. Just as he was beginning to feel at home with the bird family, they flew away, leaving him all alone. That's only the beginning of the extraordinary adventures in store for Smudge, a hapless but wonderfully adaptable hero who relates his youthful odyssey with deliciously dry wit.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Meet Smudge, a worn-out rat with stories to tell. They begin when the diaper-clad youngster is plucked from above by a "big bird with beady eyes." At first the birds use him as "a brush to polish their long beaks," but before long, he becomes "just like one of the family." That is until his feathered friends abruptly fly off without him. Smudge is snatched once again, this time by a dog. Initially, he is used as a "ball to toss around," but he eventually learns to bark and even wag his tail, and he feels at home. Again, the adopted family runs off suddenly without him. The rat's tale continues with a series of abductions, all ending with creatures hopping, swimming, or jumping off leaving Smudge alone and confused. Eventually, he is found by his very own mother who, with cuddles and kisses, leads him back to the safety of their nest. Following the same format as in his Peter Piglet (North-South, 1996), Rowe offsets his strikingly dark and distinctively stylish illustrations with a wide white margin while the facing text is printed in a bold, boxy print. While the rat's adventures are told with an offbeat, tongue-in-cheek humor, more sensitive readers will wonder why Smudge can only be truly loved by his biological family. Entertaining silliness with some disquieting questions beneath the surface.?Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Rowe (The Gingerbread Man, 1996, etc.) presents another delightfully eccentric character from his bestiary: an old storytelling rat named Smudge, who recalls his childhood abduction by a bird. Back at the nest, after a brief stint as a beak buffer, he becomes part of the family, learning to chirp and ``even thought about laying an egg.'' But the birds fly off and he is snatched by a dog. The dogs run off--he is too slow--and his next forced domicile is a rabbit hutch. They bound off, and Smudge's hopping can't compare. So it goes with fish and squirrels: Smudge is first used by his captor, then abandoned when he can't mimic his abductor's most salient attribute. At last, glory be, he is whisked off by a brown rat with a big smile: Mom. Rowe replays the to-thine-own-self-be-true theme with a combination of drollery and piquancy, with artwork that is dauntingly emotional: Sometimes Smudge is diminutive, looking highly vulnerable and far away; at other times readers are right there in the dark-toned illustrations, holding Smudge's hand, sharing his journey toward home. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Michael Neugebauer (North South Books) (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558587888
• ISBN-13: 978-1558587885
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,060,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming tragedy with a happy ending, August 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Smudge (Hardcover)

Poor Smudge is kidnapped and used by various creatures for their own selfish purposes.. In each case, his eagerness to please and be part of the family finally wins him acceptance--until he can't keep up, and then he is unceremoniously abandoned. Happily, he is finally found again by his own family, who love him for who he is.

The illustrations, sometimes bleak, sometimes tender, often ridiculous, express the emotional side of the story beautifully. This book climbs into your heart and cuddles up there...

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific story, March 19, 2009

By 

June M. Harding "crazy rat" (Rumney,New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Smudge (Hardcover)

I am a pet rat owner. Smudge is a captivating story that any one, rat lover or not, will find very imaginative and just fun!!!

4.0 out of 5 stars This review is by Little Bollington Primary School pupils., May 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Smudge (Hardcover)

This review is by Little Bollington C of E Primary School, it is Class 2's (8 and 9 year olds) thoughts and views on the book Smudge. This book is about a rat called Smudge. We are first introduced to an elderly Smudge who is as black as burnt toast. Smudge tells us a story of an adventure he had when he was young. The story Smudge follows a pattern. First of all Smudge would be taken by a creature, then taken to their home, the creatures then used Smudge for a house job. But then through the book Smudge always grew quite close to them and became part of the family. He then learnt special skills from these creatures. But there was always something that he couldn't do. The creatures left him by doing the thing he could not do, for example the birds flew away and left him. Smudge is always left on his own. Read this book and find out what happens in the end. I would recommend this book because it is funny and sad. It could be read by anyone even Mums and Dads to read to younger children. Adults would like the dry humour. It is a book that can be enjoyed for different reasons.