What do you think?
Rate this book
Rats on the Roof
"In seven illustrated stories . . . this Caldecott Honor artist introduces an array of lively anthropomorphized animals in amusing predicaments."-- Publishers Weekly
Rats can’t dance, right?
Wrong. Here are seven silly stories about some very unusual creatures. Meet a sheep who can’t read (but thinks he can), an owl who outwits a brontosaurus, and a goose who thinks her wolf neighbors are canaries.
“Those just beginning to read chapter books should find that this is just the thing to tickle their funnybones.”— School Library Journal
Rats can’t dance, right?
Wrong. Here are seven silly stories about some very unusual creatures. Meet a sheep who can’t read (but thinks he can), an owl who outwits a brontosaurus, and a goose who thinks her wolf neighbors are canaries.
“Those just beginning to read chapter books should find that this is just the thing to tickle their funnybones.”— School Library Journal
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
1 person is currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
James Marshall
149 books139 followersJames Edward Marshall (October 10, 1942 – October 13, 1992), who also wrote as Edward Marshall, was a children's author and illustrator.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
His father worked on the railroad, was a band member in the 1930s, and his mother sang in the local church choir. His family later moved to Beaumont, Texas. Marshall said: "Beaumont is deep south and swampy and I hated it. I knew I would die if I stayed there so I diligently studied the viola, and eventually won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston."[1] He entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, but injured his hand, ending his music career. He returned to Texas, where he attended San Antonio College, and later transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where he received degrees in French and history.
It is said that he discovered his vocation on a 1971 summer afternoon, lying on a hammock drawing. His mother was watching Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the main characters, George and Martha, ultimately became characters in one of his children's books. Marshall continued as a children's author until his untimely death in 1992 of a brain tumor. In 1998, George and Martha became the basis of an eponymous animated children's television show.
In addition to George and Martha, the lovable hippopotami, James Marshall created dozens of other uniquely appealing characters. He is well-known for his Fox series (which he wrote as "Edward Marshall"), as well as the Miss Nelson books, the Stupids, the Cut-ups, and many more. James Marshall had the uncanny ability to elicit wild delight from readers with relatively little text and simple drawings. With only two minute dots for eyes, his illustrated characters are able to express a wide range of emotion, and produce howls of laughter from both children and adults.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 18, 2019
A children's chapter book that is really a collection of seven short stories. Though the idea of chapter books is to have emerging readers conquer longer stories, I think this format (a series of shorter stories in the same book) also has a lot to offer this age group. Children can read this book in manageable bites, and stop in between to discuss the stories.
Narrated by different animals, each story has a moral, in the vein of Aesop's fables, except these stories are rather humorous, so the lesson doesn't feel quite so in-your-face. The illustrations enhance the text and are often used to show important information not in the text, or disclose the fact that things are not as reported by the text. So the illustrations add further humor. A delightful read by a talented author-illustrator.
Narrated by different animals, each story has a moral, in the vein of Aesop's fables, except these stories are rather humorous, so the lesson doesn't feel quite so in-your-face. The illustrations enhance the text and are often used to show important information not in the text, or disclose the fact that things are not as reported by the text. So the illustrations add further humor. A delightful read by a talented author-illustrator.
Read
December 14, 2008I'm going to buy a copy of this book for whenever I need a really, really, good laugh.
July 9, 2011
Easily my favourite book of the moment. Great read-out-loud material. Sly humour.
January 18, 2014
Love anything by James Marshall!
April 28, 2021
Hilarious short stories and illustrations from James Marshall tell of various animals and the trials they experience when interacting with other animals. For example, in the first story, the dogs are irritated by the rats on the roof, so they decide to get a cat. But. The cat wants a salary and the best bed in the house. What will be the outcome of the negotiations?
The stories are really funny, but you do need to be ok with the potential for the main characters to be eaten, as that's where a lot of the tension comes from. I plan to read this with nieces and nephews aged 7-10 or so.
The stories are really funny, but you do need to be ok with the potential for the main characters to be eaten, as that's where a lot of the tension comes from. I plan to read this with nieces and nephews aged 7-10 or so.
December 19, 2021
Very funny, but also sweet. I've not loved everything by the author, but I just have to round up to four stars on this slight collection. Perfect for families who don't like Captain Underpants but want something at about the same level. I like the subtle 'moral lessons' worked into these stories, too. For example, one is stated not very subtly: "Life is full of unpleasant little surprises. But together we'll manage to rise above them."
Read
April 12, 2021Laugh-out-loud funny. Better than George and Martha.
October 18, 2021
These stories are so cute!
April 23, 2022
James Marshall has a chapter book? Yes, please.
January 19, 2023
Fairly simple stories with happy endings. A few may go over the kids heads if they are too young, ex 5 and younger.
November 20, 2023
An illustrated collection of seven stories about various animals, including a frog with magnificent legs, a hungry brontosaurus, and a mouse who gets married.
March 7, 2013
A collection of Marshall shorts.
Rats on the Roof- A pair of dogs are distressed when rats take up residence on their roof. After many a sleepless night they put an ad in the paper seeking a cat. A tomcat answers their ad and has a long list of demands but the dogs agree desperately; however, when the tomcat learns he's dealing with rats he runs for the hills. All of the racket disturbs the rats' daytime sleep and they inform the dogs in writing that they will be leaving. Long story short, mission accomplished.
A Sheepish Tale- A pair of sheep go walking in the woods despite all the wolf warning signs. One sheep assures the other that he can read and makes up nice things each sign they encounter says. When they finally cross paths with the wolf he has disguised himself as a sheep. The sheep talk late into the night in the wolf's cottage and the wolf falls asleep out of boredom. His disguise slips off and the sheep learn his true identity and leave quickly. The wolf, upon waking, figures it must've all been a dream.
The Mouse Who Got Married- A cat crashes a mouse wedding by hiding in the cake and is kicked to the curb by bride.
Eat Your Vegetables- It's the birds vs. the dino. A brontosaurus is eating the leaves on the tree an owl calls home. When he refuses to respect her home the owl calls all the birds she knows and they take a stand.
Swan Song- A cow helps a swan escape a fox by having the swan pose as the cow's fashionable hat. The plan almost works, but the swan can't help bragging that she outsmarted the fox. The fox chases the duo, but luckily they escape. The cow scolds the swan and recognizes she's just a silly goose.
Ooh-La-La- A frog boasts about his beautiful legs until he reads a disturbing article in the newspaper about how to prepare frog legs to eat! He vows never to be vain again, though just as he proclaims this he finds he's quite proud of his lovely voice.
Miss Jones- Mysterious new neighbors move in next door to Miss Jones. She welcomes them to the neighborhood and the neighbors plan to spend a holiday meal gathered around the same table. Miss Jones finds out just in the nick of time that the new neighbors are wolves and that they intended for her to be the main course at dinner. With some fast talking she assures the wolves that she is indeed a medical mess and therefore not tasty at all and the wolves quickly excuse themselves.
Funny, quick reads with black and white illustrations to break up the text. I like how the pictures fill in some of the details in the stories such as the pictures in A Sheepish Tale. It is only through looking at the pictures that readers know what the signs really say. These tales would make good read alouds or short bedtime stories.
Rats on the Roof- A pair of dogs are distressed when rats take up residence on their roof. After many a sleepless night they put an ad in the paper seeking a cat. A tomcat answers their ad and has a long list of demands but the dogs agree desperately; however, when the tomcat learns he's dealing with rats he runs for the hills. All of the racket disturbs the rats' daytime sleep and they inform the dogs in writing that they will be leaving. Long story short, mission accomplished.
A Sheepish Tale- A pair of sheep go walking in the woods despite all the wolf warning signs. One sheep assures the other that he can read and makes up nice things each sign they encounter says. When they finally cross paths with the wolf he has disguised himself as a sheep. The sheep talk late into the night in the wolf's cottage and the wolf falls asleep out of boredom. His disguise slips off and the sheep learn his true identity and leave quickly. The wolf, upon waking, figures it must've all been a dream.
The Mouse Who Got Married- A cat crashes a mouse wedding by hiding in the cake and is kicked to the curb by bride.
Eat Your Vegetables- It's the birds vs. the dino. A brontosaurus is eating the leaves on the tree an owl calls home. When he refuses to respect her home the owl calls all the birds she knows and they take a stand.
Swan Song- A cow helps a swan escape a fox by having the swan pose as the cow's fashionable hat. The plan almost works, but the swan can't help bragging that she outsmarted the fox. The fox chases the duo, but luckily they escape. The cow scolds the swan and recognizes she's just a silly goose.
Ooh-La-La- A frog boasts about his beautiful legs until he reads a disturbing article in the newspaper about how to prepare frog legs to eat! He vows never to be vain again, though just as he proclaims this he finds he's quite proud of his lovely voice.
Miss Jones- Mysterious new neighbors move in next door to Miss Jones. She welcomes them to the neighborhood and the neighbors plan to spend a holiday meal gathered around the same table. Miss Jones finds out just in the nick of time that the new neighbors are wolves and that they intended for her to be the main course at dinner. With some fast talking she assures the wolves that she is indeed a medical mess and therefore not tasty at all and the wolves quickly excuse themselves.
Funny, quick reads with black and white illustrations to break up the text. I like how the pictures fill in some of the details in the stories such as the pictures in A Sheepish Tale. It is only through looking at the pictures that readers know what the signs really say. These tales would make good read alouds or short bedtime stories.
January 5, 2013
Reason for Reading: Ds read aloud to me for his reader.
This is a fun collection of seven apparently previously unpublished short stories. Each features animal characters and is humorous in nature. Some are better than others but all give a chuckle and a grin. Neither of us found any of them extraordinary, but ds did enjoy figuring out the punch line and then anticipating the revelation that he'd been right all along. This book was deceptively much harder to read than it looked and ds needed much help with it. The stories included are:
Rats on the Roof - Mr and Mrs Dog are continuously awoken each night by rats on their roof but when they try to hire a cat for help the rats end up getting the last word.
The Sheepish Tale - Two sheep walk up a mountain posted with signs warning of the dangers of wolves. Neither can read but one pretends he can and guides them into danger by making up plausible things for the signs to say. This was funny.
The Mouse Who Got Married - A mouse wedding is invaded by a cat and we learn the bride is more than expected.
Eat Your Vegetables - A brontosaurus is eating the leaves on owl's tree and refuses to stop eating her home so she calls in her friends for help. This one is very short compared to the others.
Swan Song - A fox is after a swan and he enlists the help of a cow in hiding by becoming her hat but he must prove to the fox how much smarter than he, he is and ends up being more of a silly goose. I thought this was cute!
Ooh-La-La - A frog is very vain about his attractive legs mentioning them to everyone he meets until he learns via a French Poodle that some enjoy frog's legs for more than their beauty!
Miss Jones - The longest story in the book and the one ds liked the most. Miss Jones, a goose, gets to know her new neighbours who profess to be canaries, but are in truth wolves. She's never actually seen them, only talked through the door and in the shadows. But when she gets invited for Christmas dinner she helps with the meal preparations and it isn't until she is at the table that she realizes she is to be the main course. But Miss Jones is too clever to end up being the Christmas goose, though!
This is a fun collection of seven apparently previously unpublished short stories. Each features animal characters and is humorous in nature. Some are better than others but all give a chuckle and a grin. Neither of us found any of them extraordinary, but ds did enjoy figuring out the punch line and then anticipating the revelation that he'd been right all along. This book was deceptively much harder to read than it looked and ds needed much help with it. The stories included are:
Rats on the Roof - Mr and Mrs Dog are continuously awoken each night by rats on their roof but when they try to hire a cat for help the rats end up getting the last word.
The Sheepish Tale - Two sheep walk up a mountain posted with signs warning of the dangers of wolves. Neither can read but one pretends he can and guides them into danger by making up plausible things for the signs to say. This was funny.
The Mouse Who Got Married - A mouse wedding is invaded by a cat and we learn the bride is more than expected.
Eat Your Vegetables - A brontosaurus is eating the leaves on owl's tree and refuses to stop eating her home so she calls in her friends for help. This one is very short compared to the others.
Swan Song - A fox is after a swan and he enlists the help of a cow in hiding by becoming her hat but he must prove to the fox how much smarter than he, he is and ends up being more of a silly goose. I thought this was cute!
Ooh-La-La - A frog is very vain about his attractive legs mentioning them to everyone he meets until he learns via a French Poodle that some enjoy frog's legs for more than their beauty!
Miss Jones - The longest story in the book and the one ds liked the most. Miss Jones, a goose, gets to know her new neighbours who profess to be canaries, but are in truth wolves. She's never actually seen them, only talked through the door and in the shadows. But when she gets invited for Christmas dinner she helps with the meal preparations and it isn't until she is at the table that she realizes she is to be the main course. But Miss Jones is too clever to end up being the Christmas goose, though!
February 23, 2013
A fun early chapter book for kids still needing more of a transition between Frog and Toad and harder texts such as The Hundred Dresses. Level of text and amount of illustrations reminds me of Mercy Watson.
October 2, 2008
Silly and light stories featuring animals
Read
June 4, 2009JEAR3-Mar
April 19, 2010
booklegger 2nd
December 12, 2012
This is great silly fun.
December 17, 2014
Great Book.
February 11, 2014
Always a favorite
November 28, 2015
Cute stories that actually made me giggle... silly goose!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews