I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.

Aubry’s music perfectly complements the story, enhancing the mood and atmosphere throughout the film. Curiosities and fun facts about ‘The Highway Rat’ 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. Draw a picture showing the inside of one of the Highway Rat’s bags. What different items has he stolen?If you’re a fan who loves to explore, you might enjoy visiting places like the Forest of Dean in England, which inspired the lush, green forests depicted in the film. Who’s who in ‘The Highway Rat’

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! One of the most noticeable differences is the inclusion of additional scenes to expand the narrative, such as the Highway Rat’s encounters with other animals. It could also be used for PSHE lessons, to explore why stealing is wrong and how it can affect the victim’s life. In science they can look at food chains and animal habitats and use the story to explore these topics further. As a parent, you might be wondering if ‘The Highway Rat’ is suitable for your children. Rest assured, both the book and the movie are excellent choices for kids. We have spoken about how the book rhymes, and how it can be read in a rhythmical way. The second time that we read it, the children were able to join in with some of the repetitive sentences, which they all really enjoyed.This timeless quality allows children from different cultures and time periods to relate to the story and its characters. ‘The Highway Rat’ film locations: A travel guide As we close this exploration, we are left with an even deeper appreciation for this heartwarming story.

While there is currently no video game adaptation of ‘The Highway Rat’, it’s not hard to imagine how the story could be translated into an interactive medium. I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. Some of her other notable books include ‘Zog’, ‘Tabby McTat’, and ‘The Snail and the Whale’. ‘The Highway Rat’ book club questions Imagine that one of the animals in the story is being interviewed by the police. What would they tell the police about their encounter with the Highway Rat? The movie adaptation of ‘The Highway Rat,’ directed by Jeroen Jaspaert, stays true to the original book’s storyline.It seems to serve the development of comprehension skills and other social and emotional aspects of learning quite neatly.