I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers: The Scarecrow and His Servant

A must-have for every child’s library: two enchanting tales by the bestselling author ofThe Golden Compass,in a special hardcover omnibus editionwith newly colorized illustrations

When a bolt of lightning brings Scarecrow to life, he proves to be a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant, and the two embark upon a terrifying series of adventuresincluding battles, brigands, broken hearts, and treasure islands. But little does the Scarecrow know that he is being followed by a family who desperately wishes hed never sprung to life.

I was a rat! So insists a scruffy boy named Roger. Maybe its true, but what is he now? A terrifying monster running wild in the sewers?The Daily Scourgeis sure of it. A victim of Rodent Delusion? The hospital nurse says yes. A lucrative fairground attraction? He is to Mr. Tapscrew. Or is Roger just an ordinary small boy? Only three people believe this version of the story, and it may take a royal interventionand a bit of magicto convince everyone else. A playful parody of the press,I Was a Rat!is a magical weaving of humor, fairy tale, and adventure.

Everyman’s Library pursues the highest production standards, printing on acid-free cream-colored paper, with full-cloth cases with two-color foil stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, and European-style half-round spines.