(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Tara Anderson. Nine-year-old Jeannie and her new pet hamster, Sapphire, share narrating duties as both attempt to make sense of the world. Jeannie's father has recently moved out; she later learns he's dating a man. Friendship with a transgender neighbor helps Jeannie come to terms with the changes in her family. Brenna skillfully handles contemporary issues with a believable child's point-of view and plenty of gentle humor.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS This time around, hamster-of-all-trades Stanley (Stanley's Garage and others) is a teacher at his very own school (enrollment: three animal tots). Lap sitters will enjoy watching a typical preschool classroom's action unfold, including Stanley reading to his students and overseeing a messy painting project; they'll also have no quibble with the spotless digital art throughout, in which Stanley wears a jaunty, green mortarboard befitting his station.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Warren & Dragon series. Illustrated by Mike Malbrough. Seven-year-old Warren's best friend is his stuffed dragon, who talks, demands food, and reassures absent-minded Warren about his fears and anxieties. When Warren's family moves, he and his twin sister compete at making friends (100). At their new school, Warren is chosen to care for the class pet hamster, Chewy (Weekend). Fast-paced dialogue and cartoon-style grayscale illustrations add levity to these entertaining tales. Review covers these Warren & Dragon titles: 100 Friends and Weekend with Chewy.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(2) K-3 Illustrated by André Ceolin. During the Hanukkah season, Edgar finds a hamster left in his taxicab. He tells "Chickpea" all about his life in Tel Aviv (and shares hamster smartphone pix with his family back in Israel) and feels less lonesome while lighting the Hanukkah candles in his now not-quite-as-empty apartment. Edgar eventually finds the hamster's owners--and makes two more friends in the process. Warmhearted, unfussy illustrations keep this fanciful Hanukkah tale grounded in a contemporary city.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Newbold. In this second art-appreciation picture book, the artistic hamster from If Picasso Painted a Snowman explores how iconic (and, this time, culturally diverse) artists would render dinosaurs. Greg Newbold inserts dinos into (impressive) imitations of famous works of both well-known masters (Degas, Kahlo) and less-familiar artists such as Navajo painter Harrison Begay. Back matter includes brief bios and "Advice for Artists."

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Lynne Avril. Young Amelia Bedelia cares for the class hamster, Harry, during school break when he disappears from his habitat. Friends Clay and Dawn help her search, and eventually they find six little surprise additions with "Harriet." Amelia Bedelia's usually humorous literalness is unfortunately lackluster here; still, the sweet twist ending and the dynamic gouache illustrations should engage new readers.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) 1-3 Hamster Princess Harriet is forced to attend a ball--in a dress!--and gets pulled into a mystery involving a hamster in glass shoes (Whiskerella). A rodent-girl in a bright red hood asks Harriet for help with weasel-wolves lurking around her grandmother's cottage (Little Red). Vernon's fifth and sixth trippy fairy-tale takeoffs use humor, quick pacing, occasional comic book–style panels, and snappy dialogue to engage young and struggling readers. Review covers these titles: Hamster Princess: Little Red Rodent Hood and Hamster Princess: Whiskerella.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 1-3 Hamster Princess Harriet is forced to attend a ball--in a dress!--and gets pulled into a mystery involving a hamster in glass shoes (Whiskerella). A rodent-girl in a bright red hood asks Harriet for help with weasel-wolves lurking around her grandmother's cottage (Little Red). Vernon's fifth and sixth trippy fairy-tale takeoffs use humor, quick pacing, occasional comic book–style panels, and snappy dialogue to engage young and struggling readers. Review covers these titles: Hamster Princess: Little Red Rodent Hood and Hamster Princess: Whiskerella.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 1-3 Best friends Hammy and Gerbee (hamster and gerbil, respectively) break from their class during a science museum visit to create mischief involving toilet paper, mummy role-playing, and slapstick humor. The entertaining characters are rendered via thick, relaxed lines in this graphic novel. Nine short, fast-paced sections will engage new readers; easy-to-follow sequences, simple speech-bubble dialogue, uncomplicated wordplay, and visual punch lines should draw in reluctant readers.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2018

(3) PS Apparently, hamster Stanley (Stanley's Garage, et al.) can't hold down a job--fortunately for the reader. He's been a mechanic, a mailman, and more; now he's running a grocery store, where his duties include giving mouse customer Myrtle and her many-carts-worth of cheese a ride home. Bee again offers a gently entertaining introduction to a profession, and his flat, chunky art looks good enough to eat.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 1-3 Humphrey's Tiny Tales series. Illustrated by Priscilla Burris. In this installment in the classroom hamster's early-chapter-book spinoff series, Humphrey goes home with Room 26 student Garth, who's hosting a treasure hunt over the weekend. When the treasure-hunt prize goes missing, Humphrey plays sleuth. The light and pleasant mystery installment is carried by Humphrey's amiable narrative voice and the generous spot art.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) PS The sun hasn't risen, but a young hamster-like critter is wide awake: "I even made pancakes!" While Mom sleeps, bleary-eyed Dad withstands an onslaught of the child's not-so-tempting attempts to coax him out of bed. Energetic children and sleep-deprived parents will both see themselves in the story, told via comic digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations and minimal dialogue-bubble text.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(2) 1-3 Hamster GW, rabbit Barry, and guinea pig Sunflower (The Great Pet Escape) again face off with fiendish mouse Harriet, intent on framing GW for disrupting the elementary school's art show and getting him remanded to obedience school. The class pets employ teamwork (and art supplies) to outwit her. There's a lot happening in this zany graphic-novel chapter book; cleanly rendered panel illustrations help readers keep track.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by George O'Connor. In this Captain Awesome spinoff series, Super Turbo is Classroom C's hamster by day and a hero by night. When automatic pencil sharpeners are installed in classrooms, Turbo and his fellow classroom-pet superheroes unite to save Sunnyview Elementary from the villainous Pencil Pointers. Told in both prose and comic panels, this third chapter book is a frenetic but appealing superhero story.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) 1-3 Pigsticks is only making a mess of his own project for the science fair when he stumbles upon his inventor great-aunt's (working!) time machine. Pigsticks and hamster "assistant" Harold find themselves jumping from era to era, encountering dinosaurs, "Julius Squealer," and Vikings (whom Harold impresses with his cake recipe). The series-standard piggy puns and goofy illustrations make for a delightful fourth chapter book.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Newbold. A cartoony artist hamster imagines what it would look like if famous artists painted a snowman in their signature styles. Greg Newbold then inserts snowmen into (impressive) imitations of famous works while spare, vocabulary-expanding text pops on white backgrounds; a final page encourages readers to create their own snowman pictures. Back matter includes short bios of the referenced artists and "advice for artists."

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jessica Olien. Diminutive Hugo the hamster is a talented cook, dancer, runner, and more--but he's always wanted to be a firefighter. Even though he's small, Hugo's can-do spirit eventually allows him to serve as fire truck navigator, safety instructor, and ladder climber. Bold digital illustrations with thick black outlines are visually suited for storytime, and the themes of self-esteem and perseverance will resonate with similarly little readers.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(3) 1-3 In the fourth Hamster Princess book, Harriett and her battle quail, Mumfrey, find themselves at the top of a beanstalk attempting to rescue a "harpster" (a harp-hamster hybrid) and a goose while outsmarting a giant rabbit. This "Jack and the Beanstalk" send-up is inventive and lots of fun, full of twists and turns. Blue-accented cartoons with word bubbles and action scenes help move the story forward.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) PS A new Stanley book means another chance to watch the ultra-mellow hamster demonstrate yet another profession: this time, he's delivering mail by scooter. The simple premise and tidy illustrations are just right for the Maisy crowd, but the older set will smile at some of Stanley's encounters (e.g., because Hattie's mail includes a speeding ticket, she grumbles, "Thanks a lot, Stanley").

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 Humphrey the classroom hamster helps his Room 26 friends identify signs of spring and prepare for Family Fun Night in this twelfth installment about family, seasons, and taking pride in your work. Birney integrates diversity into a predictable story, as sympathetic characters exhibit a range of emotions, family backgrounds, and abilities; Humphrey and the other animals have their own likable voices and personalities.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth