Get ready for a heartwarming tale of friendship, bravery, and adventure!
We sat down with author Sharon Baker to chat about her new book, Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue. This delightful story follows Preston, a garden rat who loves his cozy, predictable life—until Remus, a sewer rat seeking safety for his family, arrives and turns everything upside down. With themes of kindness, courage, and even a touch of music, this exciting rescue mission is sure to captivate young readers.
Join us as Sharon shares the inspiration behind the story, the challenges of writing an animal adventure, and what she hopes children will take away from this remarkable tale!
Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue by Sharon Baker and Ed Foxell is available now from Amazon, Waterstones, and Bookshop.org.
What inspired you to write Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue? Was there a particular object, moment, or spark that started your journey with Remus and Preston?
My kitchen window looks out onto a raised garden with a very pretty crabapple tree in the middle. We hang bird feeders off the branches and provide the birds with a large tray of water for drinking and bathing. My husband and I noticed a rat emerge from the shrubs at the base of the tree and feed off the seeds and nuts the birds dropped on the ground. The rat then discovered the bird bath and would drink from it and use it for a daily bath. My husband commented on the fine life he lived. He had everything he needed for comfort. We named him Preston and that was the start.
Preston and Remus are such different characters — almost total opposites! Are they based on anyone in particular? How did you find writing about their unlikely friendship?
Preston represents all of us who live comfortable lives. We sympathise with people who are worse off than us but don’t want our ordered lives to be affected by the messiness of theirs. Remus and his family are the people trying to do the best for their families but face insurmountable hurdles, made worse by the effects of climate change. Writing about their friendship was easy. You only have to listen to real stories where people have put their prejudices to one side and found common ground to build relationships. In Preston and Remus’s case it was music that broke down the culture barriers.
Was there a particular reason you chose rats as the lead characters for this book? Do you have experience with keeping rats as pets, or another affinity for rodents?
I didn’t really choose rats as the lead characters, Preston presented himself to me and I just ran with that. However my daughter kept a rat as a pet when she was young and it was very intelligent and endearing and a great favourite with all of us. I know that not everyone feels the same way! A friend of ours refused to come into our house until we had removed the rat to the porch.
Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue touches on themes of climate change and displacement. What drew you to include these elements and how important is it that children’s stories tackle serious topics?
In many ways the story wrote itself. I started off with Preston and his privileged, but lonely life and thought of other rats living in perilous circumstances. Few people can be unaware of the changing climate and its effect on all creatures. People and animals are all being displaced by increased flooding, devastating fires and extreme temperatures. Children’s fiction is a good way to introduce serious topics in an entertaining way. I think if you set out deliberately to moralise or make a serious point to engage children you are likely to fail. Far better to write a story that stands on its own for entertainment value and hope that teachers and parents use it as a way to open up discussions with children on serious topics like climate change refugees.
The story is full of daring moments and unexpected challenges. What was the most exciting part of Remus and Preston’s adventure to write?
I think it was the final journey when Preston was nearly left behind. Would he be able to cling on to the back of the van for the whole journey or lose his grip and be thrown into the road and never make it home?
There’s a real classic, wholesome, feel to the book. Were there any books you grew up reading that influenced how you wrote Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue?
My childhood is a long time ago! I read anything and everything I could lay my hands on growing up. Life in rural New Zealand didn’t provide many opportunities for entertainment and books were my best friends. Early favourites were the Famous Five adventures then later books like the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and Little Women left a lasting impression.
You worked closely with Ed Foxell, the book’s illustrator, to bring Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue to life. How did it feel seeing Ed’s interpretation of your characters and are there any elements Ed added to Remus, Preston, or any of the supporting cast?
I loved working with Ed on the book. I’ve always sketched and painted myself but it takes a particular talent and skill set to illustrate a children’s book and I knew that I was not up to the task. I’ve known Ed for some time and knew he was perfect for the job. We discussed how I saw the main characters and then I left the rest to him. I loved the way he brought the story to life with little details and humour. A favourite illustration with children is when the birds attack the laundry van driver and he nearly loses his trousers trying to escape.
Finally, Is there a particular message that you hope children will take away from your book and from Remus and Preston’s journey?
I hope that children will take away the message that kindness to others brings rewards for everyone. No matter our differences if we show tolerance and work together we can achieve great things.
Remus and the Remarkable Rat Rescue by Sharon Baker and Ed Foxell is available now from Amazon, Waterstones, and Bookshop.org.
