The Highway Rat

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Write a diary entry from the point of view of the Highway Rat. What does he do each day? How does he feel about it? Look at the use of rhyming words in the story. Can you think of other words which rhyme with the ones used? I've also immersed myself in the practical side of the industry, gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of movie production. The story of ‘The Highway Rat’ is set in a timeless, mythical landscape, giving it a universal appeal.

It could also be used for PSHE lessons, to explore why stealing is wrong and how it can affect the victim’s life. In science they can look at food chains and animal habitats and use the story to explore these topics further. Aubry’s music perfectly complements the story, enhancing the mood and atmosphere throughout the film. Curiosities and fun facts about ‘The Highway Rat’ Players could embark on exciting adventures, helping the Highway Rat learn valuable lessons along the way. Conclusion

I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books. Although the story line is very simple, there is a lot of cross curricular links there. Our year 2 created a ‘WANTED!’ poster for the Highway Rat and wrote about the crimes of the rat and why they needed to catch him as soon as possible. The children had to use a range of descriptive language to make their writing interesting and for creating a sense of urgency. In addition, our year 2 created their own version of the capture of the Highway Rat with a clear beginning, middle and end. They had to use a lot of similes, adjectives and body language to create tension and a chase to grab their reader’s attention.

The Highway Rat is our new book for our Literacy lessons in Year 1. They have all really engaged with the story and the characters. It has provided us with many different discussion points - one child pointed out to me today that the Highway Rat is naughty not only because he steals people's food, but also because he talks to strangers! This gave us the opportunity to have a little PSHE talk about 'stranger danger', and why the Highway Rat has not been making good choices! One of the most noticeable differences is the inclusion of additional scenes to expand the narrative, such as the Highway Rat’s encounters with other animals. Find out about the highwaymen of the past. What did they do? Do you know the names of any famous highwaymen? Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta. 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 Highway Rat terrorises the local village. Cunning, daring and altogether selfish, he delights in stealing the locals’ food. But they won’t stand for it much longer. One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.

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! We have also managed to link it to art - we created Wanted posters for the Highway Rat. The children had to use their literacy skills to describe the rat and his terrible crimes, and then got the opportunity to be artistically creative as well. The Highway Rat, voiced by David Tennant in the film, is a greedy rodent who robs travelers of their food. Written 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? While there is currently no video game adaptation of ‘The Highway Rat’, it’s not hard to imagine how the story could be translated into an interactive medium.If you loved ‘The Highway Rat’, you might also enjoy other works by Julia Donaldson, like ‘The Gruffalo’ and ‘Room on the Broom’.

The story teaches valuable lessons about greed and kindness, presented in an engaging and entertaining way. While there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, the possibilities are certainly intriguing. Jeroen Jaspaert’s other media contributions Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.If you’re a fan who loves to explore, you might enjoy visiting places like the Forest of Dean in England, which inspired the lush, green forests depicted in the film. Who’s who in ‘The Highway Rat’ The movie adaptation of ‘The Highway Rat,’ directed by Jeroen Jaspaert, stays true to the original book’s storyline. In this post, I will be exploring various aspects of this beloved children’s book and its animated adaptation. The author uses different words to describe how the Highway Rat speaks (e.g. declared, bellowed). Can you think of any more?