Redeeming Rhubarb
By Bob Richley
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult
Pages (print): 233
Via: Author Request
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book for honest review.
Kimber: Mom! Mom! Are we gonna start that food book thingy today?
Mom: What “food book thingy”?
Kimber (insert eye roll here): You know. The one about dessert! Pie, to be exact!
Mom: You know you’re not allowed to eat dessert. Especially pie.
Kimber: Not even Strawberry Rhubarb?
Mom: This I gotta see… or taste, as the case may be.
So here we go:
Read more: Why You’ll Need An Extra Fork for ‘Redeeming Rhubarb’“Enemies can become friends, but it takes a long time to trust.”
This delightful fiction story gently shows readers young and old how to do just that.
The 4-1-1
Rhubarb the mouse lives with his family in a decrepit factory in Colorado. He harbors deep resentment towards rats after his brother was killed by one. When Barnabas the poetry-writing rat and his family move in, Rhubarb isn’t exactly turning cartwheels. But his wife Sherry, a formidable mouse in her own right, welcomes the new neighbors along with their mice children and a particularly precocious daughter named Strawberry (Hello, Reepicheep!). Strawberry also has big dreams. Hello, Mars. But that’s all we’re gonna say about that, capiche?
Meanwhile, Miley the cat is hungry. So are her kittens. While searching for her son Milo, mama cat winds up in a scrape with a pack of street dogs. The pack leader is Bailey, a Rottweiler. How this unlikely menagerie establishes common ground with each other and a kindly veterinarian named Bart will wring tears from a turnip in this unforgettable story of adventure, courage, faith, kindness, and grace. Oh, and “the letter”? Mom cried.
Warm and winsome, the writing style is reminiscent of beloved children’s authors like Beatrix Potter and E.B. White. Although the story deals with some weighty themes, it avoids coming across as preachy or pedantic. The plot is packed with adventures both human and animal. Briskly paced, the story will keep readers turning pages until the very end.
Sparkling with wit and whimsy, Redeeming Rhubarb strikes just the right balance between action/adventure fantasy and heartwarming parable. Think Aesop’s Fables meets Stuart Little. From mice and rats to cats and dogs and a dedicated veterinarian with a heart of gold, the characters leap off the page and into your heart.
Tip: Alert readers will note the deliberate pairing of two classic flavors in this novel, Strawberry and Rhubarb. Two very different flavors that work together to form one surprisingly delicious treat! Preferably with a light, flakey crust. (Kimber: Is it dinnertime yet? What?) That is no accident. It’s also quite clever. And the cover art? Well. Who can resist that?
Inspired by the devastating floods that swept through Boulder, Colorado in 2013, Redeeming Rhubarb is a winsome mix of adventure, peril, and second chances. It includes themes of prejudice, courage, kindness, and forgiveness. It’s structurally sound and gently faith-flavored and imparts valuable life lessons without sermonizing. Indeed, Redeeming Rhubarb is sure to be a hit with its target audience of children ages thirteen to eighteen. Note: Though written for young adults, the story and its Christian themes will have broad appeal to older audiences as well.
Redeeming Rhubarb is one of the finest young adult stories we’ve read in recent memory. You’ll love it! And that’s no “pie crust promise”!
Kimber: You gonna eat that?
Pages & Paws 