By Rat or by Raft

<p>You’re ready to relax in the tropical island paradise of Tahiti–and next minute you’re helping madcap scientists solve a prehistoric mystery: Who were the first people of the Pacific? And where did they come from?</p><p>To find out you’ve got a crazy-sounding choice: Go west to catch rats <em>(rats??!!)</em> or east to build a raft <em>(a raft??!!)</em>. But it’s all real science–and it’s all real adventure. So are you ready? Which path will <em>you </em>pick … By Rat or By Raft?</p><p><em>Want to make reading more exciting for your children? Mick Whittle’s By Rat or by Raft cleverly combines elements of gaming and branched storytelling to keep young readers engaged while they grapple with a scientific conundrum in the Pacific islands. Don’t bother stopping them to point out they’re learning: they’ll be having too much fun to appreciate the interruption. The whimsical illustrations by Sue Ollerenshaw are the icing on this educational cake.</em></p><p><strong><em>Lloyd Spencer Davis The Stuart Professor of Science Communication University of Otago New Zealand</em></strong></p>