Sunday, September 14, 2014

Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race! by Cynthia Lord -- ADVISABLE

Lord, Cynthia Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race! Illustrated by Derek Anderson and Greg Paprocki. Scholastic Press, 2014. $3.99. Content: G.

Hot Rod Hamster is thrilled to participate in an upcoming box car race, and he and his friends have a wonderful time building his car from scratch. But when the car runs out of steam partway through the race, it looks like Hamster's going to lose. He needs to come put with a new plan -- and fast!

This story feels lively, with its colorful, energetic illustrations and ambitious, enthusiastic characters. The interactive element adds a bit of fun and some room for predictions, with Hamster asking the reading audience which box, which paint job, and which wheels they would choose (although, of course, he just goes ahead and chooses for himself so the story can continue). It is also nice to see Hamster try extra hard when his car stalls out, instead of simply giving up.

EL (K-3) -- ADVISABLE. Reviewer

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