“Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express”
by Megan McDonald, illus. by Peter H. Reynolds (Candlewick, 9780763628352,
$12.99, ages 6 to 10)
The “Stink” chapter-book series tells fun, goofy adventure stories with
special appeal for young boys. In this new fourth book, excitement comes to
Stink Moody in the form of three guinea pigs escaped from the local pet
store. The store has just rescued more than a hundred of the furry little
critters, and Stink and his best pals Webster and Sophie volunteer to help
find each one a good home.
With the help of their pet-shop-owner friend Mrs. Birdwhistle, the trio
decorates a mobile camper with bright headlight eyes and a cute guinea-pig
nose to make the Great Guinea Pig Express, a roving pet-adoption center:
it’s like a bookmobile filled with guinea pigs instead of books! Using their
new headquarters, they zoom along on a cross-state road trip, stopping to
visit pet shops, family hang-outs, and tourist traps along the way; and
wherever they go, they leave a trail of happy guinea-pig-loving folks in
their wake. They’re the Johnny Appleseeds of guinea pigs!
Megan McDonald, author of the fantastic “Judy Moody” books (Stink Moody is
Judy’s less moody little brother), writes a quick-moving story filled with
jokes, laughs, and fuzzy animal exploits. Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds
supplies pictures on every third page, and together he and McDonald create a
series of cartoon pages that offer odd and useful facts about guinea pigs:
where they come from, what they eat, and that they’re considered a favorite
dish in Bolivia. The book also contains a strong caution for kids to
research how much care an animal needs before they adopt a new pet.
The pictures, zip, and comedy here will captivate early elementary readers,
especially pet-lovers. Stink is always fun and entertaining, and this
quick-reading series will encourage nervous readers to want more. And it
goes without saying that any family or school with a guinea pig as a member
or class pet needs a copy of “Stink and the Great Guinea Pig Express!”
For readers ages 6 to 10.
Review by
Mark
David Bradshaw, March
19, 2008
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