Hamster Magic

Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer

The four Willow children are still exploring the large three-story house they have moved into for the coming year. They are happy to find a hamster in the corner of the closet. They name him Hammy III and place him in the cage previously occupied by Hammys I and II. But this hamster is no Hammy. He has magical powers; he can grant wishes; and he can talk in English. When Cecilia the youngest child wishes she were bigger. She instantly becomes a large hamster. Most of the story is centered around the efforts of her sister and brothers to find the Great Hamster and get the wish reversed. Their adventures occur outside near the river and continue throughout the night. In the morning Cecilia returns to her original self just in time. The parents never know what happened. An amusing beginning chapter book for emerging readers. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.

School Library Journal

Gr 2–4—The Willow family has just moved into a rickety old house, and Abner, Tate, Derek, and Celia have made an incredible discovery: their pet hamster has the ability to grant wishes. Celia, frustrated with her status as the youngest, accidentally blurts out her wish—to be bigger. While she is envisioning being a bigger person, Hammy the Third actually turns her into a huge hamster. Now the children must figure out how to reverse this wayward wish before their parents find out—and they must do it before the sun comes up. Written for readers who are just beginning to tackle chapter books, this title may find an audience with those who fancy hamsters or who have them as pets. Other readers may find little else to draw them into the story. Besides the somewhat ridiculous premise, another flaw is that the origin of "hamster magic" is barely explained—supposedly burrowing animals will accrue it the more time they spend underground. When Hammy the Third doesn't have enough magic on his own to reverse Celia's wish, all the burrowing animals band together to transform her back into a little girl. It's this deus-ex-machina approach to conflict resolution that makes the story hard to swallow. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations add some charm and help readers to visualize the characters, but they don't save this title from being a marginal purchase, at best.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY