'The Adventures of 'Big Rat' ' teaches a valuable lessons

• Title: The Adventures of 'Big Rat'
  
• Author: Rowena Campbell-Thomas
  
• Publisher: Lithomedia Printers Ltd
  
• Reviewer: Siobhan Morrison

Jamaican author Rowena Campbell-Thomas is a native of Point Hill, St Catherine, where she resides with her husband and three children. The Adventures of 'Big Rat', a 101-page children's novella, is her first published work.

Essentially, the story is about Sammy, who is nicknamed rather aptly, if unflatteringly, 'Big Rat' by his peers and other members of his community. Sammy is a young delinquent living in rural St Catherine with his mother, grandparent, uncle and eight siblings. Angry and filled with pain following his parents' separation, Sammy's self-confidence takes a beating when he is constantly told that he is no good like his abusive father and that he will not amount to anything. He vacillates from trying to win his family's approval and love to lashing out and doing things that make them angry.

The plot chronicles several of Sammy's daring and sometimes treacherous exploits. We see him, on occasion, stealing from his classmates and neighbours, gambling and drinking at the local bar and engaging in fights. One particular act of theft leads to the poisoning and subsequent death of one of his brothers. As his actions get more out of control, Sammy is eventually expelled from his home. Luckily, he is rescued by his teacher, Miss Tingle, who takes him in and eventually adopts him. With some tough love and a firm hand, she sets him on the path to redemption.

Character development

I cannot say that this was the best children's book I have ever read. Although it is understandable that 101 pages do not give a writer much room to develop his or her characters, I felt that Campbell-Thomas could have done more to expand on her main character and engender more sympathy for him. Also, the way minor characters are arbitrarily introduced to the plot without really adding to it is a bit strange. One such example is Sammy's father who is lifted from the footnotes of the story, twice, but only once does he make a significant contribution to plot development. Another example is Sammy's dead brother's 'girlfriend'.

However, regardless of its flaws, I found The Adventures of 'Big Rat' worth reading for its core message. In fact, there are several lessons readers can learn from this book. The first, that education and perseverance are key elements to success. Second, abuse comes in many forms, from the end of the belt and from the unkind words we use to rob someone of their worth. Third, given a second chance, even hard cases like Sammy can be turned around. Given that so many of our young men today seem to be falling through the cracks, this is a lesson worth sharing. Finally, teachers play an important role in the nurturing process.

The Adventures of 'Big Rat' may not be the most captivating children's book you'll ever read, but I think it's safe to say that both parents and children have something to learn from Sammy's journey.