Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: February 2010
Reviewed by Jaci Miller
The big race approaches and Hamster wants a hot rod. But he needs help to build it! In this rhythmic tale, readers help Hamster create his car and speed through the race.
Hot Rod Hamster by Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and illustrated by Derek Anderson is an exciting read that engages even boys without excluding the girls. Readers progress from the junkyard to the race to the finish line, cheering for the tiny racer the whole time. They have a stake in the outcome, after all, since the refrain, “Which would you choose?” invites audience participation in Hamster’s decisions.
Expressive acrylic paintings use bright colors and add a playful sense of fun to the book. Masterful rhymes and cartoon bubbles of dialogue pace the story and develop character—something the little orange hamster has in spades. A subtle lesson also weaves through the book: determination matters more than size.
Readers will find this book as exuberant and confident as the hamster protagonist. A perfect read for young car and race fans.
Review copy provided by Scholastic Press.
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