Let's Take Care of Our New Hamster
Young hamster owners, or those who aspire to be, will delight in this fictional story that aims to give children plenty of information about pet care. Mark and his sisters have a new hamster named Hairy. In between segments of the story, which focuses on how Hairy adjusts to his new home and how his new owners ease the transition, readers learn details about buying the right cage, providing the right toys and food, getting acquainted with hamster behavior, and other general care issues. A large typeface and sweet, cartoonlike watercolor illustrations combine in an appealing layout surrounded by lots of white space. Parents will want to take note of the concluding page of “guidelines from the veterinarian,” which reiterates important information. Though catalogued as fiction, this title in the new Let’s Take Care of . . .  series will probably be most appreciated by children specifically looking for a book about hamster care. Preschool-Grade 2. --Shauna Yusko