Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

Starred review from August 27, 2007
Jonell's (the Christopher and Robbie picture books) first novel is a lustrous affair, a droll fantasy with an old-fashioned sweep and a positively cinematic cast. The beginning will hook readers right away: the class pet, a rat, mocks the protagonist for being too good. “It doesn't get you anywhere,” he tells her. “The only thing that happens is, you get ignored.” When the teacher doesn't even seem to see the girl a few pages later, the rat has made his case for being bad, and Jonell has launched a truly labyrinthine plot involving prodigally endowed rodents and nefarious schemers with entangled pasts. Emmy, the heroine, must face down evil nanny Jane Barmy and win back the love of her parents, former booksellers who, since inheriting Great-Great-Uncle William's fortune, spend all their time jet-setting and buying themselves the very best of everything. Her challenge increases when the rat—freed by Emmy, one of the few characters who can hear him talk—accidentally shrinks her to his size. Jonell's villains aren't too frightening to be good targets for jokes, and the rat serves as an excellent comic foil. Occasionally the eccentricities of the plot sidetrack the action or otherwise bog down the pacing, but for the most part the narrative proceeds at an assured clip. To top off the fun, Bean (At Night
and The Apple Pie That Papa Baked
, both reviewed above) decorates the margins with drawings that produce a flip-book effect: the rat falls from the bough of a tree, covering his eyes as he somersaults backward in mid-air to land in Emmy's outstretched hand. Ages 9-up.

Starred review from September 1, 2007
Gr 3-6-Emmy Addison was perfectly happy as the daughter of bookstore ownersand then her parents inherited a lot of money and she suddenly became invisible. She can't understand why her formerly attentive and loving mother and father keep taking off for faraway places and leaving her in the hands of an incredibly controlling nanny named Miss Barmy. And no one at school seems to know she exists. Then, she is bitten by the classroom rat and discovers that she can understand every word he says, as can Joe, one of the cool kids in her class who was also bitten. At this point, events start to unfold and a fast-paced adventure begins. To Joe's chagrin, he discovers that a second bite makes a person shrink to the size of an action figure and Emmy discovers that Miss Barmy has been mixing animal essences together to control the Addisons' lives. With the aid of new animal friends, Emmy embarks upon a perilous path to undo the evil nanny's sinister plans. A mystery is cleverly woven into this fun and, at times, hilarious caper, and children are likely to find themselves laughing out loud during some parts. A medley of endearing characters adds to an already delightful read."Robyn Gioia, Bolles School, Ponte Vedra, FL"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2007
Emmys world has turned upside down. Since her family inherited a fortune, her parents have become obsessed with status and money, her teachers and fellow students ignore her, and her welfare has been left in the hands of her coldhearted nanny, Miss Barmy. Now, she can hear the class pet, a rat, talking. Whats going on? Jonell takes readers on a merry, sometimes scary, romp, as Emmy enters the Antique Rat store and learns about a world of rodents with eclectic powers that are being used by Miss Barmy to get control of Emmys family and their fortune. Although the considerable action is sometimes convoluted, and a couple of dropped story lines are hastily stitched up, this tale turns smoothly on its fanciful premise and fabulous characters. As in so many stories featuring a rat, the sneaky rodent gets the best lines; so it is here with Rat, who is by turns boastful, whiny, maudlin, and menacing. Its fun to watch remarkably good Emmy and especially bad Barmy spar, and the revelation of the nannys secret admirer speaks to the endurance of true love. Inside, the book is decorated with a picture of a tree limb and a climbing rat. Flip the pages, and Rat tumbles and falls.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)