Ruby's Escape

by Richard Parise

Ruby's Escape combines a humorous short story with comical rhymes. Heather's pet rat Ruby escapes from the confinement and security of her cage to explore the dangers of life in the wild. She meets various creatures in her new home under the deck. Together Ruby and her new found friends explore the neighborhood. After many frightening experiences, Ruby decides that life in the wild is not for her. She attempts to return home to the safety of her cage.

18 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 22, 2025

About the author

Richard Parise was born in 1950 and currently resides in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. He's received the Purple Sign of the Cross for surviving thirty years teaching middle school students. Richard now spends his free time writing comical short stories for both children and adults.

Reviews

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting short chapter book centered on a pet white rat who seizes the opportunity of an open cage door to escape and see the world. After Heather leaves for school one day, Ruby, her pet rat, discovers the cage door ajar. Now Ruby has never been outside, but she is a determined, talented, and resourceful rat.
After deciding to make her move, Ruby avails herself of the cat's food and gnaws a hole through the screen door to escape into the back yard. There she encounters Crafty, a fellow rat, and Digger, a gopher. Ruby almost drowns in a swimming pool, gets trapped in a dumpster, and meets a group of mice living in the garage. When Heather arrives home and discovers that Ruby is missing, she and her cousins search far and wide. Does Ruby want to return to her cage? Will her hiding place be discovered?
While this book is short, it is fun and humorous. Ruby recites some clever poetry and can turn a clever phrase. Beginning readers will love the quirky plot and clever animals. Recommended especially for readers in the six to nine age range.