Red Raiders

Torus and his friends, three young rats living with their clan in a run-down apartment building, deal with the pressures of coming of age while managing all the perils of a rat’s life: humans, dogs, cats, poison, and traps – not to mention finding enough to eat. When an invading flock of pigeons threatens their food supply, they must work together, and break with tradition, to defend their home.Torus and his friends Chello and Nevi are three young rats, living with their clan in the walls and floors of a run-down apartment building. Life is hard for a young rat. They have to deal with all the pressures of coming of age, and they must also manage the perils of an urban rat’s life: avoiding the humans that share their building, dogs, cats, poison, and traps, not to mention finding enough food to eat. When an aggressive flock of pigeons begins to invade their main source of food – a dumpster in the park across the street – the clan is faced with a choice. Should they resist the birds? Or cooperate and try to live in peace with them? When the leaders decide to try to work with the pigeons, most of the clan goes along. Torus and his friends go along grudgingly as well, after all, as pups, they don’t have much influence. As winter progresses, however, things go from bad to worse. The clan begins to starve, the pigeons take more and more control, and the leaders seem powerless to stop them. Finally, when the pigeons begin moving into the building itself, Torus, Chello, and Nevi decide to take matters into their own hands. With help from Mr. Nile, a wise old rebellious rat, and some other unlikely friends, they make a secret plan to resist the invading birds and protect their home and families. Will the pigeons take over the building completely, or will the Red Raiders save the clan?