Ferret On The Loose

By Heather Gallagher, illustrated by Benjamin Johnston

This is a beginner novel for children age 7+

Lucy wanted a horse but got a ferret that she named Flash. She has joined a ferret club and they spend their weekends training their ferrets to prepare for the big annual ferret race. A few days before the competition however, Flash disappears...

Ferret Inaccuracy:

Lucy's older sister is often calling Flash a 'rodent'. This is not debated by Lucy.

Lucy offers Flash chocolate a few times as a reward or bribe, and he answers when the chocolate's name is called. In reality chocolate would be really really bad for a ferret. Later on he steals Lucy's mother's chocolate, Mum is more concerned about the loss of her chocolate than any health concerns.

A ferret is transported in a bike basket, baring its teeth in anger. A real ferret would escape from a bike basket very fast, and they don't bare their teeth in anger. However it's a cute image!

The book is set in Australia, and wow I wish we had dedicated ferret club houses in reality!

Can ferrets faint from pain/fear? I'm not sure.

Ferret Accuracy:

Ferrets are portrayed as very wiggly and escape prone and liking tunnels. Maybe a bit too much, as several ferrets stay in the tunnels to play, sleep, or tease their humans!

The mean girl's ferret bites her chin. Ha!

Flash is trained to do some tricks, like dance, and is rewarded with pieces of raw chicken.

Flash steals bras! Very true.

They know that he may be a danger to pet rabbits.

At the end, someone is punished by being on 'poo patrol' from now on- A very realistic thing to do with ferrets.

I'm glad that Lucy ends with loving her ferret even though she wanted a horse. 



Cute book for young ferret lovers to read, but be cautious and explain about ferrets and chocolate in real life.