Life on the wharf is easy for the young rat Vasco until the day he discovers that most of his tribe has been killed. To escape the humans who are exter minating them, Vasco journeys with a few rodents on a freighter in search of a peaceful place to live. The journey aboard the ship is fraught with danger, as is life in their final destination. After many challenges Vasco is able to establish a safe refuge for his new tribe. Anne-Laure Bondoux has received France’s Prix Sorcières Award. pwc

Originally pub lished as La Tribu in French by Bayard Editions Jeunesse France, in 2004. Translated by Y.