It seems to serve the development of comprehension skills and other social and emotional aspects of learning quite neatly. The Highway Rat is a baddie and he takes whatever food he wants from any traveller that he stops. Pastries, puddings, buns, biscuits, nuts, fish, milk, flies and even a bunch of clover and a leaf, the last mentioned from an army of ants! He even steals his own horse's hay! Find out about the highwaymen of the past. What did they do? Do you know the names of any famous highwaymen? Exploring ‘The Highway Rat’ has been a delightful journey, offering us insight into its captivating world.

The story teaches valuable lessons about greed and kindness, presented in an engaging and entertaining way. Some of her other notable books include ‘Zog’, ‘Tabby McTat’, and ‘The Snail and the Whale’. ‘The Highway Rat’ book club questionsWritten by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Shaffer (The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom), The Highway Rat is a delightful story. It’s largely written in verse which lends it a tremendous pace and sense of excitement that will engage younger children, particularly in years one and two. The moral issue of theft which forms the central conceit of the book lends itself to further extraction and questioning. Using talk partners, you can ask children to come up with responses to particular questions – is The Highway Rat right to steal their food etc? What would you do if The Highway Rat stole your food? We have spoken about how the book rhymes, and how it can be read in a rhythmical way. The second time that we read it, the children were able to join in with some of the repetitive sentences, which they all really enjoyed. Throughout my academic journey, I delved into the rich history of cinema, analyzing groundbreaking films and studying the techniques used by master storytellers.

Absolutely marvelous! As an adult reader I totally adore the clever and delightful textual parody of Alfred Noyes' classic The Highwayman ballad (and indeed also much appreciate that with The Highway Rat, Julia Donaldson has just taken Alfred Noyes' external form and has not made her text content wise into some silly love story and her Highway Rat into a romantic type of hero, as no, that would in my opinion have made The Highway Rat annoyingly maudlin and not the engaging and so very much fun poetic parody of The Highwayman that it is).

Welcome to an exciting journey as we dive deep into the world of ‘The Highway Rat’, a charming creation by Julia Donaldson. As a parent, you might be wondering if ‘The Highway Rat’ is suitable for your children. Rest assured, both the book and the movie are excellent choices for kids. Find out about the police and how they help people in society. Could you invite a member of the police force to your school to talk to you about their jobs? What questions would you ask them? As the story develops, the Highway Rat’s horse has to carry more of the things that he has stolen. How much might each of these things weigh? How much would the horse have to carry in total? The story of ‘The Highway Rat’ is set in a timeless, mythical landscape, giving it a universal appeal.

The Highway Rat is described as a ‘baddie’ and a ‘beast’. Can you think of any other words that might be used to describe him? I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. We will uncover the book summary, the differences between the book and the movie, and delve into the picturesque locations that inspired the film’s creators.The way they transported me to different worlds, evoked emotions, and sparked my imagination left an indelible mark. It was no surprise that I decided to pursue a degree in Film Studies, where I deepened my understanding of the art and craft of filmmaking. The Highway Rat’s manners were ‘rough and rude’. Can you make a list of good manners to help the Highway Rat be nicer to others?