Book excerpt: Rocco is no ordinary pet hamster. Tired of being kicked around in a plastic ball, he’s certain of his true destiny: to become a great leader among rodents. Through a mind-boggling mix of debatable genius and happy accident, he mounts a daring escape, heads for the Big City … and joins a fearsome gang of restaurant-raiding sewer rats. Now all that remains is to lead his fellow rodents into greatness – and become the gang’s next Big Cheese! All with a little help from his new best friends, Nev the mouse and his martial arts-obsessed sister, Tina. When Rocco discovers that the rats’ arch-enemies, the flea-bitten alley cats, are planning an attack, it seems that his moment to shine has arrived. But as he lands himself, his fellow gangsters and his new-found friends in ever-hotter water, he begins to realise that being a superstar action hamster isn’t quite as straightforward as he thought! Get ready for furious foxes, crazy killer cooks and a double-crossing pigeon named Francis. Just some of the colourful characters in a tale of big dreams, bigger blunders – and refusing to let others make you feel small. A funny, action-packed and unexpectedly heart-warming story for readers aged 8+.