Priscilla and Rosy

A tempting boat trip tests an alley-rat's loyalty to her best friend Priscilla lives in an alley behind a restaurant. Her best friend, Rosy, lives across the gutter near an ice cream store. After a busy week of stealing food scraps and scaring people, the two rodent pals decide to take Monday off together, so they can relax over Rosy's new puzzle.
Then Priscilla is invited out on a boat trip Monday. What else can a rat do but accept? She can call up Rosy and tell a little fib. Maybe Priscilla could say she just remembered that she had already agreed to the trip. Maybe she could say she's sick. After all, she can do a puzzle with Rosy any old time; a boat trip is really special.
So why does Priscilla feel so ratty?
A not-too-sweet tale about honoring your friends, Priscilla and Rosy introduces young readers to a refreshing new heroine who, despite her all-too human flaws, manages to do the right thing in the end. Linda Hendry's inspired illustrations add the perfect touch of droll humor to Sharon Jennings witty and endearing story.

"Priscilla and Rosy, written by Sharon Jennings and illustrated by Linda Hendry is a delightful tale of the dilemma faced by a cute rodent whose pal invites her to spend the day making a jigsaw puzzle. But when a more enticing invitation comes along from another friend - to spend the day on a boat - Priscilla has to make a touch choice. Priscilla is lively, impudent and, in the end, a true friend to Rosy."
-- The Canadian Press in The Times-Colonist
"...This is a story to begin a conversation about friendship and honesty. Kids will understand the dilemma faced and will admire the choice that Priscilla makes."
-- The Brandon Sun
"Linda Hendry's illustrations show what fun she had imagining Priscilla's "rat" world...Priscilla and Rosy may be rats but their relationship reflects human values. Hendry deftly reveals their emotions through their body language from Priscilla's vigorous stamping about when she can't go on the boat trip to her self-satisfied smile when she agrees with Rosy that she is, indeed, a good friend...shows through irony and humour, how life's buffetings teach us to roll with the punches."
-- City Parent
"Wonderful illustrations of the rats' world are reminiscent of the lives of the Borrowers...This tale of friendship is charming."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"[Linda] Hendry's charming illustrations pack flashes of humor...details of the rodents' world will delight children as well, particularly the pet cricket being taken for a walk and the wristwatch that hangs on Priscilla's wall as a clock."
-- School Library Journal
"...[Sharon] Jennings exposes both the shortcomings and strengths characteristic of human nature...the complex truths at the very core of the story make her character truly believable."
-- The Midwest Book Review
"In this tale introducing two young rats, Jennings (Into My Mother's Arms) portrays a familiar childhood dilemma with humor and zip. Priscilla lives just across the gutter from her best friend, Rosy. After working hard all week, combing restaurants for scraps of food "and scaring lots of people," the two are looking forward to their day off. Priscilla eagerly accepts when Rosy invites her over to help with a new puzzle. But that offer pales next to a subsequent invitation, from another friend, to go on her very first boat ride. Priscilla ponders fibbing to Rosy to get out of their date but reconsiders after another pal chastises her ("Priscilla Rat, you are not nice!"). Back home, in a burst of temper that any child - or parent - will easily recognize, the frustrated gal yells "I hate puzzles!" as she kicks furniture, but ultimately does the right thing. Hendry (No Frogs for Dinner) fills her busy illustrations with amusing particulars - a human watch serves as the clock on Priscilla's wall, a stroller is adapted from a tea cup - as she portrays the world of these appealing rodents. Author and artist portray a credible ending while keeping Priscilla true to her prickly but good-hearted natures. Ages 5-8. (Oct)."

- Publishers Weekly
"Priscilla is a rat living in an alley beside a restaurant. Her best friend, Rosy, also a rat, lives across the gutter, near the ice-cream store. This netherworld, a rather cozy one, actually, is cast in stone-grey and brick-red tones by artist Linda Hendry. After a week of hard labour, shuttling scraps of food from restaurants to their homes, and scaring people, the two take Monday off. Priscilla promises Rosy that she will come to her house to play with Rosy's new puzzle. And then Priscilla's friend Rudy calls, inviting her to spend Monday on his uncle's boat. Priscilla, overjoyed, says "yes" immediately, proving that rats and small children (and other sizes of humans) are prone to the same sort of moral dilemmas. After considerable anguish, Priscilla decides that she can't let Rosy down; she declines Rudy's invitation. Bad is made worse when Rosy's too sick to play on Monday. Showing considerable grit, Priscilla eventually makes all the right decisions."
- The Globe and Mail