Hamster Sitter Wanted - Hardcover

Gunaratnam, Tracy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848863594 ISBN 13: 9781848863590

Publisher: Maverick Arts, 2019

Synopsis

Marco and Polo simply love adventures, but disaster hits when they are left in charge of Marco's numerous cousins! They brainstorm the perfect solution: Find a hamster sitter! An ad in the paper turns up many eager candidates, but Marco and Polo return home each time to find their cousins causing even more mischief than before. Can they find the perfect hamster sitter or are their adventures a thing of the past?

About this title

About the Author:

Tracy Gunaratnam lives in London close to her two grown-up sons, who, as children, started off her passion for inventing stories. When Tracy is not writing she can be found making novelty cakes or decorating.

Hannah Marks is a self-taught illustrator and designer; she lives with her husband, three children, a bonkers cat, and two nutty gerbils in Hertfordshire, UK.

Review:

"Hamster friends Marco and Polo are unexpectedly entrusted with the care of Marco's many hamster cousins and so embark on a thorough search for a hamster-sitter so they can continue their over-the-top adventures. First, Mrs. Baaton the sheep fails to engage the hamster cousins with her knitting, then Mr. Yogani, a giraffe, attempts to soothe them with yoga to disastrous results. Finally, when all hope seems lost, Mrs. Bottomus the hippopotamus literally sits on the hamsters so that Marco and Polo can go 'lion dancing' complete with Stenson hats and spurred boots. The hamsters, for their part, appear quite content to be sat upon, and are depicted drawing and reading and playing games from under Mrs. Bottomus's bottom. The story, using primarily short, simple sentences, is humorous, if unsophisticated, playing with the sounds of language and puns. The illustrations, created digitally, are busy and chaotic which serves to build up the sense of over-the-top adventure and discord throughout the story. Different textures create depth, while the use of line and sequential art builds a sense of dynamic motion, and there is plenty of detailed language within the illustrations for extra engagement.

VERDICT An amusing tale to engage young readers and early elementary students."―School Library Journal Online

(Journal)

"Hamster friends Marco and Polo don't want to give up their adventures, so they look for a sitter who can handle all of Marco's rowdy little cousins.

Marco and Polo just want to go sky diving or 'lion dancing' together, but sitter after sitter refuses to return once they have spent a day with the uncountable horde of hamster children. Just as Marco and Polo have reluctantly decided to give up their hobbies, they meet Ms. Bottomus, a hippopotamus who reins in the hamsters by literally sitting on them. Children will get a laugh out of the puns and visual jokes throughout the book. Gunaratnam infuses the text with simple but amusing wordplay, such as the 'wound up' sheep babysitter, who is both frazzled and literally wrapped in yarn. Marks peppers her digitally collaged illustrations with details for children to notice, such as a pigeon looking on in concern as a fox reads the ad seeking a hamster sitter and a tailpiece in which two of the little hamsters construct pointy-hat 'derriere defenders.' Though there are some puzzling elements (How old are Marco and Polo? Why do they live together? Where have all the responsible adults gone?), the plot follows a satisfying problem-and-solution structure and, enjoyably, does not end in a lesson about how good children should behave.

A fun and engaging book with plenty of humor."―Kirkus Reviews

(Journal)

About this edition

• Publisher: Maverick Arts
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1848863594
• ISBN 13: 9781848863590
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Marks Hannah