The Adventures of Red Rat and BIGGO — The Present is a remake of Bram konijn en Piet de muis [Bram the Rabbit and Piet the Mouse], a 1982 children’s book by Johannes van de Weert, a veteran of the Dutch punk underground who played with Rondos and The Ex, and who was the force behind Red Rat and Raket editions.

The Present is a 2010 remake telling the story of a bully pig who terrifies a poor rat on a daily basis. After a while, the rat falls ill with fear and has to stay in bed. The lonely, evil pig has no one to play with and becomes depressed. The pig gives the rat a present — a bunch of beautiful flowers — and all is well. Now the two can play together.

The 2010 remake, featuring different characters and intended for a North Korean audience, was never published. The 2025 English version opens with an introduction by Van de Weert, telling a bizarre story of a failed political career and an absurd vaudeville class struggle behind the seemingly harmless educational children’s book.

Designed by Ott Kagovere, the book is printed in edition of 600.

“The now following story is the strange tale of how an innocent children’s book about a rat and a pig almost – I say almost! – , and without intent, became a subversive underground comic in North Korea...”