Mat o’ Shanter: A Cautionary Tale by Simon Lamb and Ross MacRae

Mat o’ Shanter: A Cautionary Tale – at a glance

The School Reading Lists’ five word review: Verse, monsters, Scotland, betrayal, identity.
Children’s book title: Mat o’ Shanter.
Children’s author: Simon Lamb.
Children’s illustrator: Ross MacRae.
Genre: Children’s illustrated verse novel.
Published by: Scallywag Press.
ISBN: 9781836300090.
Recommended for young adults aged: 9+.
First published: Hardback September 2025.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who enjoy poetic storytelling, tales of transformation, and fantasy rooted in classic literature.

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Our review:

Mat o’ Shanter: A Cautionary Tale is a spectacular graphic novel in verse that draws on Robert Burns’ 1790 poem Tam o’ Shanter, offering a vibrant and modern reworking in verse 9+ year olds. Ideal for children in KS2 and KS3, the book connects closely with its source while presenting a new story set in a contemporary context. It includes an introduction to Burns’ original, a full-length reimagining in poetic form, and a detailed author’s note.

Lamb, a poet with a background in performance and education, was writer-in-residence at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum from 2022 to 2025. His knowledge of the poem and his experience teaching young people about poetry inform this retelling. The book builds on his previous work A Passing On of Shells, and continues his focus on poetry for young readers.

Illustrator Ross MacRae, known for his murals across Scotland, brings a bold style to the artwork. This is his first illustrated book. His visual interpretation of Lamb’s text uses dark, high-contrast effects that match the tone and rhythm of the verse. The artwork supports both narrative and mood, adding an additional layer of storytelling to the text.

Mat o’ Shanter is presented as both a tribute to Burns and a standalone story. The narrative centres on themes of transformation, responsibility, betrayal, and consequence, making it suitable for independent readers able to manage darker content and structured poetic form.

Our verdict:

This is a layered book that mixes traditional Scottish literary roots with contemporary storytelling. The text introduces young readers to the rhythms of verse narrative through an accessible but structurally rich format. Its framing of the original poem, the full-length retelling, and the author’s note offer teaching opportunities across literature, history, and creative writing.

The artwork adds significant weight to the story’s tone. Powerful, dark chiaroscuro charcoal effect artwork leaps from every page and complements this tale that will linger in the mind.

Though fictional and fantastic in content, the story uses poetic form to explore decisions, transformation, and identity. One visual spread titled “OMG! His Jaw unwound” could be in equal parts meaningful as impetus for creative writing or an art project, and meme-worthy for a TikTok short or Instagram reel.

This book is likely to appeal to confident readers, pupils working with Scottish literature, and those interested in poetic forms. It is also a resource for schools looking to link contemporary work with classic poems. Dark, yet hopeful, the verse story of danger and adventure is ultimately vigorous and inspiring. It’s highly recommended for children who love reading and adults who love giving children great books.

Teaching and book club discussion ideas:

• Compare Mat o’ Shanter to Burns’ Tam o’ Shanter.
• Discuss the themes of betrayal and transformation in the story.
• Use one verse spread as a writing prompt for narrative or poetry.
• Explore the role of setting and how Scotland is portrayed.
• Analyse the charcoal-style illustrations and how they affect tone.
• Create visual interpretations of key scenes in art lessons.
• Discuss the idea of a sequel to a poem written over 200 years ago.
• Read aloud in class to explore rhythm, pacing, and spoken delivery.
• Write an author’s note from another character’s point of view.
• Explore how responsibility and consequences are presented in verse.

Many thanks to Scallywag Press for the review copy.

To order a class set of this book, please click below to order via Amazon.co.uk.

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