Help Me Find My ­Hamster!

PreS-Gr 3–Once again, the combination of Hartman and Süßbauer has produced a ­hilarious participatory hunt through the world of animals. As in their first collaboration, Watch Out for the Lion, the narrator breaks the fourth wall right off the bat, starting with the title page. Their plea for ­readers to help find their lost pet is swaddled in lines of cozy alliterative cuteness and ­interspersed with laugh out loud moments as other animals are mistaken for the sought-after ­hamster. One section to note is the page with a mountain lion. Children who have recently experienced a death close to them may be sensitive to the ­content of this ­encounter, despite the ­humorous approach. Digital art adds to the upbeat humor of this story, with bright colors, subtle shading, silly facial expressions, and a nod to the running ­debate over whether aardvarks are ­imaginary or not.