A tale about a rat who follows his dreams and goes to sea, with pictures by the illustrator of The Gruffalo.
Sam, the river rat, dreams of going to sea. Day and night, whatever he is doing, his thoughts turn seawards. His neighbours tell him to think of practical matters like fixing his fence and getting his garden in order. But Sam decides to build his own boat. His neighbours are sceptical, "You'll be swallowed by a shark," they warn. By spring his boat is ready and Sam sets off on his voyage. The neighbours tell each other that that's the last of Sam. But as they return to their vegetable patches, Sam is skimming over the wild green waves, and one day a passing seagull drops a note that reads, "Dear friends, please do not worry, I am happy. Love, Sam." Written in lyrical prose by Phyllis Root and illustrated in bright bold colours by Axel Sheffler, this book is the story of a river rat who follows his heart and realizes his dreams.
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Phyllis Root has written many books for children, including "Big Mama Makes the World" and "Rattletrap Car". She was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and attended Valparaiso University. Holly Meade is the illustrator of many acclaimed books for children. She lives in America.
More about Phyllis RootAxel Scheffler Biography
Axel Scheffler is an acclaimed illustrator, animator and more recently author of children's books. He was born in Hamburg in 1957 and moved to England in 1982 in order to study illustration at the Bath Academy of Art. He then worked for a variety of advertising companies, magazines and newspapers in both England and Germany
