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Cinderella's Rat
Life is full of surprises for the rat who gets turned into a coachman by Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Susan Meddaugh uses her wit and animated artwork to give a hilarious new take on an old tale in this story of an ordinary rat caught in extraordinary circumstances.
32 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 1997
2 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Susan Meddaugh
102 books37 followersSusan Meddaugh was born and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. She graduated from Wheaton College, where she studied French literature and fine arts. After working briefly with an advertising agency in New York, she moved to Boston and worked at a publishing company for ten years, first as a designer, then art editor, and finally as art director. While there, she did the illustrations for Good Stones (Houghton Mifflin) by Anne Epstein, and then decided to strike out on her own as a freelance illustrator and creator of children's books. Since that time, Susan has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Martha Speaks, which was chosen as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book for 1992. In 1998 she was awarded the New England Book Award, given by the New England Booksellers Association to recognize a body of work. Her work also was acknowledged with a New York Times Best Illustrated Award. She lives in Sherborn, Massachusetts. - from HMHBooks.com
Susan Meddaugh, a New England Book Award Winner, adores Halloween and calls it "THE major Holiday" in her household, in part, she says "because it's the only time in the year when you get to be someone else." - from Candlewick.com
Susan Meddaugh, a New England Book Award Winner, adores Halloween and calls it "THE major Holiday" in her household, in part, she says "because it's the only time in the year when you get to be someone else." - from Candlewick.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 4, 2018
Illustrative style awfully reminiscent of William Steig, imo. And the plot is a bit like his The Toy Brother, as I could not help but be reminded. Still, a cute enough story about magic gone awry and resilience.
February 25, 2019
Have you ever wondered how Cinderella’s animal friends felt being changed into men and horses? Finally you can see how the rats felt being turned into her coachman, and what was going on behind the scenes while Cinderella dances the life away.
Our main character tell his tale of life as a rat. Although we never find out his name, he and Ruth, his sister and trapped by Cinderella. When the rat trap is opened, rat is transformed into a boy and commanded to take Cinderella to the castle. There, as a boy, he enjoys as much food as he possible can. It’s not until his sister, who’s still very much in her rat form, arrives and things begin to change.
What happens at the stroke of midnight? You’ll have to read to find out. It’s nice to know that Cinderella’s minions also get a happily ever after too.
Recommended for grades K-5. Wonderful read aloud. Perfect for making predictions, inferences, and discussing point of view.
Our main character tell his tale of life as a rat. Although we never find out his name, he and Ruth, his sister and trapped by Cinderella. When the rat trap is opened, rat is transformed into a boy and commanded to take Cinderella to the castle. There, as a boy, he enjoys as much food as he possible can. It’s not until his sister, who’s still very much in her rat form, arrives and things begin to change.
What happens at the stroke of midnight? You’ll have to read to find out. It’s nice to know that Cinderella’s minions also get a happily ever after too.
Recommended for grades K-5. Wonderful read aloud. Perfect for making predictions, inferences, and discussing point of view.
August 31, 2024
I was born a rat.
I expected to be a rat all my days.
But life is full of surprises.
Cinderella’s Rat is not a fractured fairytale per se—that is, an updated retelling of the tale for the times. Susan Meddaugh actually does one better than “modernizing” the story. Forget Cinderella who, in the end, finds herself living the life of a very lucky princess. Her story’s been told a thousand times. Who cares anymore? Providing the perspective of the much maligned “ugly” stepsisters or their nasty mother is also a bit predictable.
What Meddaugh does instead is focus on the poor rat boy who is involuntarily transformed into the coachman who operates Cinderella’s pumpkin conveyance. Can you imagine the discombobulation of a rat finding himself in human form, wearing fancy human garments and having to control horses, yet fully retaining the instincts of a rat? I had not, but Meddaugh has, and she’s told a surprising and charming little tale with a twist— from the first-person point of view of a lowly little creature.
After transporting Cinderella to the castle, the rat/coach-boy is, of course, “drawn like a magnet” to the kitchen, where he’s put to use fetching things from the larder for the cook. Seeing a room full of food and following his rat instincts, he can’t help but gorge on a sack of grain. A boy servant observes this and advises the rat/coach-boy that wheat is much tastier in the form of bread. The two become quick friends. Interrupted by an actual rat as he chats with his new pal, the coach-boy looks on in horror: it’s his sister Ruth and the servant is about to stomp on her! He manages to convince the other boy that Ruth’s under a spell.
Meddaugh’s plot now thickens. Eager to be helpful, the servant boy takes his new friend and Ruth to a wizard, who, it is hoped, can turn the rat into a girl. The wizard, unfortunately, is third rate and can’t fully effect the required change. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking; midnight approaches and the coach-boy is due to resume his natural rat form.
Yes, life is indeed surprising. The rat, former coachman to Cinderella herself, and his family will ultimately reside in comfort with his sister. Since her encounter with the wizard on the fateful evening of the ball, Ruth has lived as a human female and is more equipped than ever to protect her brother and his offspring. They all live together in a house, and there is no reason to fear their greatest enemy, the cat. The third-rate wizard failed to provide Ruth with the human capacity for speech. This is the handiest mistake ever!
A charming picture book. Recommended.
I expected to be a rat all my days.
But life is full of surprises.
Cinderella’s Rat is not a fractured fairytale per se—that is, an updated retelling of the tale for the times. Susan Meddaugh actually does one better than “modernizing” the story. Forget Cinderella who, in the end, finds herself living the life of a very lucky princess. Her story’s been told a thousand times. Who cares anymore? Providing the perspective of the much maligned “ugly” stepsisters or their nasty mother is also a bit predictable.
What Meddaugh does instead is focus on the poor rat boy who is involuntarily transformed into the coachman who operates Cinderella’s pumpkin conveyance. Can you imagine the discombobulation of a rat finding himself in human form, wearing fancy human garments and having to control horses, yet fully retaining the instincts of a rat? I had not, but Meddaugh has, and she’s told a surprising and charming little tale with a twist— from the first-person point of view of a lowly little creature.
After transporting Cinderella to the castle, the rat/coach-boy is, of course, “drawn like a magnet” to the kitchen, where he’s put to use fetching things from the larder for the cook. Seeing a room full of food and following his rat instincts, he can’t help but gorge on a sack of grain. A boy servant observes this and advises the rat/coach-boy that wheat is much tastier in the form of bread. The two become quick friends. Interrupted by an actual rat as he chats with his new pal, the coach-boy looks on in horror: it’s his sister Ruth and the servant is about to stomp on her! He manages to convince the other boy that Ruth’s under a spell.
Meddaugh’s plot now thickens. Eager to be helpful, the servant boy takes his new friend and Ruth to a wizard, who, it is hoped, can turn the rat into a girl. The wizard, unfortunately, is third rate and can’t fully effect the required change. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking; midnight approaches and the coach-boy is due to resume his natural rat form.
Yes, life is indeed surprising. The rat, former coachman to Cinderella herself, and his family will ultimately reside in comfort with his sister. Since her encounter with the wizard on the fateful evening of the ball, Ruth has lived as a human female and is more equipped than ever to protect her brother and his offspring. They all live together in a house, and there is no reason to fear their greatest enemy, the cat. The third-rate wizard failed to provide Ruth with the human capacity for speech. This is the handiest mistake ever!
A charming picture book. Recommended.
September 5, 2013
I absolutely loved reading this book, Cinderella's Rat, because it was from the perspective of the rat who was changed into a coach for Cinderella's famous pumpkin carriage that she rode to the ball in in her own story. I think it's a very unique view to consider what the animals who were changed by Cinderella's fairy-godmother went through on the night Cinderella's whole life changed. My favorite part of this book would have to be how the ending was not what I expected at all, but I loved the surprise (which I won't give away so you can read it yourself!) and it gave it a great laugh! I would recommend this book to kindergarten or first graders because it's a well-known story and an easy read for younger students as well as a fun story for the teacher to read out loud. The illustrations provide a much bigger picture of the story which is great for young readers!
July 26, 2011
Rat and his sister were a little surprised when Cinderella’s God Mother changed them in to a Coachman in order to get her to the ball. It was even more of a surprise when rat did not change back, he stayed boy. It was very troublesome that his sister however, changed back to a rat. Then a way-word wizard tries to fix the spell and it does not go exactly as planned. Just when they think that all is fixed Midnight strikes and it did not work. In the end Rat and his sister get the happily ever after ending as well as the rest of the family. They also will never have to fear cat’s gain. The moral of this children's book is summed up on the last page: "Life is full of surprises, so you may as well get used to it". This is a great fractured fairy tale.
April 1, 2011
A cute story with a twist on Cinderella since its told from his prospective.A brother and sister they were, then caught by the fairy godmother they became, next thing he knew he was a real live boy but his sister was still. While he was a boy he ate all he could seeing how as a mouse food was scarce but one day someone tried to stomp his sister. He screamed aloud and scooped up his sister and to a wizard he went hoping to turn his sister to a little girl but in the end, he was a rat and his sister was a little girl that could only bark like a dog. Such a fun read.
July 6, 2017
An interesting take on the Cinderella story but focusing on the rat instead of on the actual heroine of the normal tail. The story searches what happens when change comes all of a sudden and sometimes how it can end up benefitting those who are caught by its actions.
The illustrations aren't the kind that I would have chosen from the book although they did fit to a certain degree.
All in all if you like to hear Cinderella from a rat's point-of-view and you are old enough to handle gruesome chapter books then I would strongly suggest "The Coachman Rat".
The illustrations aren't the kind that I would have chosen from the book although they did fit to a certain degree.
All in all if you like to hear Cinderella from a rat's point-of-view and you are old enough to handle gruesome chapter books then I would strongly suggest "The Coachman Rat".
November 11, 2016
This is a cute tale about Cinderella's rat and how life is changed for him due to the same magic that changed Cinderella's life. While in the traditional telling of Cinderella, the girl who has lived a very unfair life and magic allows for new opportunities for her. This tells a similar story of a rat and his sister who are caught and have their lives changed by magic.
This text would best be used in a primary classroom to teach about fairytales, cause and effect, story sequencing and character development.
This text would best be used in a primary classroom to teach about fairytales, cause and effect, story sequencing and character development.
March 13, 2012
This book was interesting. Reading form the rat point of view. There wasn't that much of Cinderella and the fairy godmother in the book. I thought that it was nice of the rat to still save his sister when he was human although she got to turned into a human who barks. The end was pretty good that the sister was there to save the other rats from other cats who came. It could be a good read aloud for children.
August 11, 2014
This is one that we just happened upon when I was searching the catalog for more Cinderella stories for my three year old. It's by Susan Meddaugh, who is more famous for her Martha books, but I like this one better than Martha. The rat is charming and sympathetic as he tells the story, and the way it turns out is completely unexpected. Also, it's a fairly short fractured fairy tale. We just got it yesterday, and it's already been reread several times.
April 29, 2014
This is the take on the Cinderella classic I never saw coming! (BUt then neither did I realize how many pornographic films are devoted to Cinderella, or is it SINderella? So it all works out in a way.) It comes from the viewpoint of one of the rats changes into a lowly footman (or footboy) taking Cindy to the ball. No mention of Glass slippers or rotten stepsisters, nor (thanks to God) lesbians eating saltines in front of the lord chamberlain so check this one out.
April 6, 2011
I really liked the way the end of this story came back to where it had started, while putting a new spin on it at the same time. Some of the language/sentence structure feels "dated," but "Cinderella" from the rat's perspective is a unique twist, and I enjoyed the twists and turns at the end. Overall, an enjoyable read.
October 16, 2017
A book with a different twist on the classic Cinderella story. Funny and unusual things occur in this story with a surprise ending. The cartoon like pictures are colorful and the arrangement of them on certain pages is not typical which adds to the different twist of the story. An enjoyable book that the kids will certainly be entertained by.
March 27, 2018
I really like this book and how it's a twist on the fairy tale. It made me laugh out loud. I think the idea is a fun one. The illustrations are cute. Any book that makes me laugh and smile this much definitely gets at least four stars. Of course Alena enjoys books more when I like them too. I would like to read more by this author.
August 2, 2011
The rat gets taken by the fairy godmother and turns into the carriage driver. He wants to turn his sister into a human as well. Her sister gets turned into a girl but barks like a dog. He gets turned back into a rat after midnight. She stays as a girl.
October 3, 2015
Liked that it was a twist on a classic book and you couldn't predict what was going to happen. Would be great to use in a first grade classroom. I think the ending is really funny and it could be used as a great mentor text in writing from a different characters' perspective.
June 18, 2009
A well-known fairy tale told from another character's perspective (the rat) with a cute ending.
February 10, 2010
Great book for perspective.
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May 5, 2010This book is a good way to start a discussion about the silenced characters in any story.
May 31, 2015
A fun fractured fairy tale that shows life is full of surprises.
November 11, 2015
This is a great family book for animal lovers. It has an unexpected ending.
January 23, 2012
A nice adaptation to the familiar fairy tale.
August 12, 2014
Pinterest: good for teaching point of view
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December 31, 2013AR Quiz No. 27491 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.5 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.5 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP
January 30, 2014
This text uses the plot from Cinderella to create another kind of story. This would be a great way to begin a lesson on surprises across the curriculum.
October 20, 2016
love the different perspective.
April 22, 2017
Whatever happened to the rat that became Cinderellas coachman?
October 9, 2017
The story of Cinderella is common, but the story of her rat however... not so much. While Cinderella enjoys her time at the ball, the rat that was magically transformed into her coachman enjoys his new human life. After he had been caught along with his sister in a rat trap, he was the one who was transformed, leaving his sister as a rat to follow her brother to the ball. There, they both find themselves in the kitchen eating the food and befriending another human until someone tries to harm the sister rat. After that, the human and the rat-turned-human carried the sister rat to a nearby wizard in hopes he could also turn her human. The wizard messes up and accidentally changes her into a cat. He tries again but this time and he changes her into a human, but she can only meow like a cat. They try one more time to change her voice but she can only bark like a dog. The wizard tells them to come back tomorrow to try again but before that came happen, the clock strikes midnight and the rat-turned-human turns back into a rat, leaving his sister a barking human to look after him and the rest of their family.
Cinderella's Rat is a story that tells a completely different side to a classic and it is done in a very simple way. The text isn't too big but it's small enough to allow various images to be included with it so there is usually an image that ties along with the text. The images are very simple, most of the colors being true to what they should be in real life. Many of the colors don't actually fill in the entire picture, rather they stop just short of the borders. It looks as if the images with done with water color but other multimedia was used such as Photoshop and possibly even markers. Almost every page has a border stopping the photos from going to the edge, and none of the photos actually have any true border they just stop once the entire image is done. There are only a select few pages that break this norm, page 19 for example. The drawing takes up the entire page, not leaving a single white spot on it as the dark sky stretches out and covers everything. With the simple yet well done drawings, it's easy to follow just the pictures and not even need the words, though the words to make the story much better. It's a great book that shows a new side to a well known story and is funny, too.
Cinderella's Rat is a story that tells a completely different side to a classic and it is done in a very simple way. The text isn't too big but it's small enough to allow various images to be included with it so there is usually an image that ties along with the text. The images are very simple, most of the colors being true to what they should be in real life. Many of the colors don't actually fill in the entire picture, rather they stop just short of the borders. It looks as if the images with done with water color but other multimedia was used such as Photoshop and possibly even markers. Almost every page has a border stopping the photos from going to the edge, and none of the photos actually have any true border they just stop once the entire image is done. There are only a select few pages that break this norm, page 19 for example. The drawing takes up the entire page, not leaving a single white spot on it as the dark sky stretches out and covers everything. With the simple yet well done drawings, it's easy to follow just the pictures and not even need the words, though the words to make the story much better. It's a great book that shows a new side to a well known story and is funny, too.
September 15, 2025
Author/illustrator Susan Meddaugh tells the story of the rat-turned-coachman from that famous fairy-tale Cinderella in this amusing picture book. Trapped with his sister in a rat cage, our murine hero is transformed by Cinderella's fairy godmother, and dutifully takes her to the ball. While she's off dancing the rat explores the castle kitchen and makes a friend. But what happens when this new human friend sees his sister, and is horrified? A visit to a local wizard is in order, but even that doesn't quite solve everything...
I'm on something of a Cinderella kick at the moment, so when I saw Cinderella's Rat recommended on the page of another retelling, I immediately requested it from my library. I've actually read another version of the story of the rat coachman from this famous tale, in the form of Bridget Hodder's children's novel, The Rat Prince , so I was curious to see what Meddaugh would do with the material. On the whole I was entertained, appreciating some of the unexpected twists and turns the story took, as well as the happy if unorthodox ending. The accompanying artwork, done in Meddaugh's own cartoon-like style, enhanced the humor of the tale. Recommended to young fairy-tale lovers, especially those who've wondered what happened to the animals pressed into service in Cinderella.
I'm on something of a Cinderella kick at the moment, so when I saw Cinderella's Rat recommended on the page of another retelling, I immediately requested it from my library. I've actually read another version of the story of the rat coachman from this famous tale, in the form of Bridget Hodder's children's novel, The Rat Prince , so I was curious to see what Meddaugh would do with the material. On the whole I was entertained, appreciating some of the unexpected twists and turns the story took, as well as the happy if unorthodox ending. The accompanying artwork, done in Meddaugh's own cartoon-like style, enhanced the humor of the tale. Recommended to young fairy-tale lovers, especially those who've wondered what happened to the animals pressed into service in Cinderella.
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January 14, 2020Playful & funny!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews