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Summary
Summary
Know someone with a bad case of the bathrobe blues? For one lonely soul, an anonymous note changes everything - and shows that a little love can go a long way.
Poor Rat, his friends haven't called in ages. He sits in his bathrobe all day and does nothing but sip cold tea. Then a mysterious letter arrives in a bright yellow envelope, and everything changes. Wonderfully detailed, childlike artwork brightens this wry little tale of an act of friendship that uplifts one lonely soul - and soon has a whole community feeling its happy effects.
Author Notes
Anthony France, who has published three books for children in the U.K., works as a public relations executive. He says, "I found the idea of a little rat suffering from the bathrobe blues an irresistible start to the story. The rest was based on a friend's real-life experience. Many of my stories are about getting along with friends and neighbors, and FROM ME TO YOU shows how we have to work at our friendships and not take them for granted."
Tiphanie Beeke has illustrated books and greeting cards and has worked as an interior designer for children. She says, "What I love about illustrating is being able to create an imaginary world on paper, and From Me to You gave me a great opportunity to do that. I love the texture and color I see in nature and hope to capture some of it in my paintings."
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Rat has the "bathrobe blues." He feels miserable and unloved, is uninterested in food, has no energy, and doesn't wash or change out of his pajamas for days on end. In short, Rat meets most of the accepted criteria for clinical depression. When he receives an anonymous letter from an admirer, he pulls himself together and sets off to find the sender. In the course of his search, he discovers that he has many friends who care about him, and that if he is to be a true friend in return, he cannot shut himself away. While the message here seems to be that friendship is what gets you through tough times, children may be puzzled by the intensity of Rat's unexplained doldrums. Beeke's sunny watercolors lighten the mood significantly, but the likely audience for this book will be confused as to what the problem was in the first place.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Rat wakes up with a "case of the bathrobe blues." He's down in the dumps because his friends haven't come to visit, and "doing nothing with no one is no fun at all." But the day brightens with the arrival of an unsigned note telling him he's "very special." Cheered by this gesture, Rat sets out to find the letter's author. He quickly discovers that, far from ignoring him, his buddies have problems of their own: Mouse's roof needs fixing, Frog has a broken leg and Bat, who is hanging around his house in his own bathrobe, is just plain lonely. Seeing his friends in need erases Rat's self-pity, and British author France underscores this point in a touching but not heavy-handed, scene: "If I were a real friend," says Rat, "I would have visited [Bat] before. The only reason I went today was to find out something for myself." Young readers exploring early relationships will find much in common with Rat as he transforms from self-absorbed to thoughtful of others. Beeke's (Book! Book! Book!) intense watercolor tones echo Rat's journey, evolving from cool blues to bright hues; she uses depth, texture and intriguing details (such as Rat's flowerpot-shaped house) to draw in readers. With its absorbing visuals and positive message, this standout will become a familiar, well-thumbed friend. Ages 4-7. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved