The Highway Rat

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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. Additionally, films like ‘Peter Rabbit’ and ‘Paddington’ share a similar charm. Other notable works by Julia Donaldson Create a price list for the cake shop and imagine that some customers would like to buy a selection of the cakes. How much will they need to pay? How much change will they need to be given? What coins would be used for this? 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.

The movie version also includes mild peril which can spark discussions between you and your child about how actions have consequences. When and where ‘The Highway Rat’ takes place I've also immersed myself in the practical side of the industry, gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of movie production. This seemingly teaches him a lesson, and, thinner, greyer and meeker, the Rat lands a job in a shop ... what kind of shop is for you to guess, but believe me it is probably an easy guess!The Highway Rat’ is a delightful children’s picture book written by Julia Donaldson and beautifully illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 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. Welcome to an exciting journey as we dive deep into the world of ‘The Highway Rat’, a charming creation by Julia Donaldson. The story of ‘The Highway Rat’ is set in a timeless, mythical landscape, giving it a universal appeal.

Now, as a seasoned movie critic and writer, I'm thrilled to share my insights and recommendations with you.

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Aubry’s music perfectly complements the story, enhancing the mood and atmosphere throughout the film. Curiosities and fun facts about ‘The Highway Rat’ 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? 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. Players could embark on exciting adventures, helping the Highway Rat learn valuable lessons along the way. Conclusion You get a sense (or at least I did) whilst reading the book that it’s a very ‘active’ story. By that I don’t just mean its plot is full of cause and effect, but also that it lends itself to being acted out. This is a fun story that you can use to celebrate and promote reading. Using some of your class as a chorus, a few children as the lead characters and after having made character masks and props in class, The Highway Rat would make a perfect assembly piece.

Throughout my academic journey, I delved into the rich history of cinema, analyzing groundbreaking films and studying the techniques used by master storytellers.Find out about the highwaymen of the past. What did they do? Do you know the names of any famous highwaymen? 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! Look at the use of rhyming words in the story. Can you think of other words which rhyme with the ones used? Though ‘The Highway Rat’ is an animated film, the creators drew inspiration from various real-life locations.