Up Hamster, Down Hamster

Starred review from August 3, 2015
The irrepressible rodents from Hamsters Holding Hands and This Little Hamster return to showcase opposites, and their antics should have children giggling from start to finish. A hungry “yes hamster” reacts with delight when a hamster chef lifts a cloche to reveal a slice of cake; the same diner becomes a “no hamster” on the facing page, where the chef has cooked up something green and smelly. Elsewhere, a “good” artist hamster turns “bad” when he decides to draw on his friends instead of on paper. Reich’s loosely outlined ovoid hamsters are full of energy and mischievousness, day or night, fast or slow, up or down. Up to age 3.

Hamsters demonstrate opposites in this new board book. The back cover proclaims, "Hamsters love their opposites!" but there is not much to love about this slight overview of contrasting pairs strung together with a visual narrative arc set at what appears to be a summer camp. The pages are sturdy and the hamsters are cute, but that's not enough to make anyone fall in love. Health-conscious readers may take exception to one of Reich's choices. She illustrates "YES" with a piece of cake and "NO" with a steaming bowl of greens-hardly a positive message to give children about vegetables. The most original pairing is "SHHH hamster / SHOUT hamster," in which one reading hamster decides to make a ruckus and disturb two other peaceful hamsters. After a speedy romp through the day culminating with "DAY hamster" (three hamsters float in a canoe) and "Night hamster" (three hamsters toast marshmallows), the story ends abruptly with "Out like a light HAMSTERS." The last four pages feel like filler: all eight hamsters are seen smiling in a line, followed by the copyright information on the last interior page and then, on the inside back cover, repeated images of six objects seen earlier in the book. For a genuinely engaging hamster adventure (for slightly older children), pick up Peggy Rathman's 10 Minutes Till Bedtime (1998)-an exact opposite of this weak offering. (Board book. 2-4) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2016

Toddler-PreS-A simple opposite book gets a comedic kick with the addition of a group of charming hamsters. Straightforward concepts like "up and down" are complemented by more complex pairings, such as "lost and found." Each spread features cartoon-style drawings colored digitally in cheerful pastel hues. The facial expressions of each costume-wearing little rodent add humor.

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