Pigs Books

This book contains some of the adventures of Hamtaro, a pet hamster, told from the point of view of the hamster himself. Hamtaro has a childlike curiousity that allows him to learn about the world around him, even though it sometimes gets him in trouble. As a bonus, readers also get hamster care tips and/or facts at the end of most of the stories.

So it's been a long time since there's been any new "Hamtaro" and you're thirsting for something new. Here's an idea --- find out how it all started with this great storybook of adventures by the show creator.

"The Adventures of Hamtaro: A Home for Hamtaro and Other Stories" contains eleven great Hamtaro stories. For those who have enjoyed the TV show watching from somewhere other than Japan, but haven't had a chance to dive deeper into the fandom, this is essential reading. Even if you're a pretty big fan, you'll likely learn some things from this you didn't know before.

Wanna see Hamtaro's family tree? It's here. Wanna learn Laura's name in the original stories? Find that out too. You'll even find out some neat tips about to handle and care for real hamsters.

This is a cute picture book about a hamster named Hamtaro. He is a birthday present for a girl named Yukari. He learns about humans and about being a pet in a series of short stories. The pictures are adorable and the stories are fun. Hamtaro narrates the stories himself. There is also a little bit of information about real hamsters after every story. This is a good book for little kids and anyone who likes the Hamtaro TV show.

This is a sweet board book about a Daddy who takes his son on a picnic and the son wants to do everything "just like Daddy". My son and husband both love this book and bond over it.

My son loves the colorful pictures and laughs at many of them. When he was younger he would point and want to know the name of everything in the pictures.

Great for a bedtime story or preparing a child for a picnic. Would also be a great first book for little ones to read themselves because of the simple text.

Highly recommend.

We bought this book for our little girl. She is now 15 monthsand picks it up everyday for us to read it to her. She loves this book! We are going to buy the rest in the collection for her: I Love My Mommy,I Love My Duckie,and I Love My Teddy. It is her favorite book of all the ones she has. I would highly recommend it to all new parents.

My husband and I used to read this book to our daughter every night. She was 3 years old at the time and could say it by heart. My husband had a heart attack last year he was 34 years old. My daughter and I read this book still. It means more than you would ever know. I am ordering extra copies just to put away for when she is older. Thank you so much. Jtran

An emergent reader series that is not boring! It's funny, you can actually listen to it again and again and again, which if your child is learning how to read or a struggling reader you will:)

It is emergent/early reader, think level 1 with decodable words repeated and introduced perfectly. Enough to gain skill but not too much to bore. (Think Dick & Jane.......easy to decode but boring)

By the author of the "Don't let the pigeon...." & "Knuffle Bunny" series and "Leonardo the terrible Monster" Mo Willems is a Caldecott winner, former Sesame Street writer and a genius!

Buy them all & look forward to nighttime or anytime storytime. (I keep some of them in the car)

My son (almost 3 1/2) started with "Today I Will Fly" a month ago which he LOVED. As soon as we finished reading this one I was instructed to immediately read it three more times that morning (and 2 more times that afternoon). He loves that he can retell the story based on the pictures, the expressions and the short phrases. This is definitely a favorite in our house, so much that my younger son ( 1 1/2) likes to "read" them too.
It is humor that my son "gets" and adults should enjoy too.

Scaring people is fun. There is really no getting around this fact. Kids know this better than anyone. Mo Willems knows that kids know this better than anyone. And now he's gone and written a book about it. Fitting right in with previous "Elephant & Piggie" titles, "I Will Surprise My Friend" provides a situation kids will relate to, presented with playfulness, wit, and an ace sense of humor.

The story begins when Gerald (the Elephant) and Piggie come upon a squirrel who is about to surprise his friend. They like the idea so much they decide to give it a try on on each other. They creep up to opposite sides of a big rock and wait to get startled. This setup is ripe for some silliness. Gerald and Piggie both start to wonder where the other one is. They look around the rock at the same time - no one there. They walk around the rock at the same time - nothing. When our heroes finally give up and head out to find each other, they finally get the shock they were hoping for.

The author's knack for getting inside the head of youngsters and seeing things from their perspective is on display here. From the way Gerald and Piggie immediately want to try something they see to how they end up waiting for the other one to scare them, beginning readers will identify with this title.

Willems continues to get his PHD in emotive minimalist illustration in "I Will Surprise My Friend". Each page brings expressions and gestures that announce the mood of each character as clear as day. Similar to other titles in this series, the story is told completely through dialog in the form of word balloons. This makes it a good choice for some good ol' individual reading. And kids will definitely want to read this one - be sure to have a couple copies on hand.

This is a hilarius book! It's an autobiography of a hamster named Houdini. He has all sorts of adventures. If you have ever read the Hank the Cowdog series, the humor in this book is something like that, so if you like Hank the Cowdog, you'll like this book. But even if you don't like Hank the Cowdog, you'll like this book.

Houdini is a golden hamster with a very unusual name. You see, who was named after "the" Houdini. You know, the magician. As Houdini the Hamster is also an amazing escape artist, just like his namesake. Houdini was born with amazing talents for escaping anything imaginable. No matter how confining it appeared to be. Houdini can wiggle, chew, and squeeze himself out of any place. Pants pockets, pianos, refrigerators. You name it, and he'll be able to escape from it. In fact, thanks to Houdini's many escapades in escaping, he has created many disasters throughout his owner's home. Floods, chewed carpets and telephone wires, etc. But this time, Houdini is set on escaping to the biggest place ever. The great outdoors. And knowing him, he'll be able to accomplish this amazing feat.

I, HOUDINI is an exciting animal-narrated story filled with mystery, adventure, and lots of destruction. Lynne Reid Banks created an amazing work of children's literature when writing I, HOUDINI, as she put herself in the place of a hamster, and described all of the surroundings she experienced, and the things that she saw. Houdini is an enjoyable character, who's witty personality, and snappy commentary with have all readers, young and old laughing out loud at his crazy antics. A must have book for all. Especially for those who enjoyed E.B. White's STUART LITTLE and Beverly Cleary's THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE. A must have.

Erika Sorocco

There is no doubt that Houdini is a most unusual creature, for this is a hamster with an advanced vocabulary and a terribly immodest opinion of his own superior brain power. Houdini believes without question that hamsters are a higher form of life than humans. He is, however, a kindhearted creature (generally speaking) and tolerates the bumbling ways of humans well enough.

What is hard for him to tolerate is their tendency to want to lock him up in a cage. If there is anything Houdini does not like, it is to be locked up. It is in fact his amazing ability to escape his cage that got him his name. Houdini is an escapologist of the very highest order.

Houdini also tends to reap chaos in his wake, which makes him most unpopular with the father of the boys who own him. Father becomes enraged when Houdini first chews electrical wire, carpeting and a door, and then finally causes a flood in the kitchen. It is all too much. Even Houdini has to admit that Father has just cause to be upset. So Houdini decides to stay with a friend for a while, until Father has time to cool off. Ben has a hamster called Oggi, a female who humiliates Houdini dreadfully. Houdini is soon on the loose and makes the most amazing discovery --- he finds himself in the great Outside.

Never in his wildest dreams did Houdini imagine that the great Outside would be so wonderful. What he comes to learn is that Outside is also terribly dangerous and unpredictable. In fact, he could very easily become someone's lunch or dinner out there.

In this funny yet thoughtful book, Lynne Reid Banks takes us into the mind, and heart, of a brilliant and delightful character who has flaws just like the rest of us. What is endearing about Houdini is that he is willing to admit his imperfections and mistakes. Using rich and complex language, the author never talks down to her readers but expects them to know what she means and understand what her wonderful, often grandiose hamster is saying. We cannot help but grow fond of this ambitious rodent, who discovers that there is a power far greater than even his own will to escape from every cage he is put into.

--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber (mjansengruber@mindspring.com) of Through The Looking Glass Book Review (www.lookingglassreview.com)

I. Q. is the pet rat of Mrs. Furber's class. But he longs to be much more. Along with the children, he is learning to count and spell. He has learned his colors, participated in the Thanksgiving play (a small role) and crafted Valentines. But the school year is soon ending and still I.Q. has not been named Student of the Week. What can he do to get Mrs. Furber's attention?

I.Q. wiggles his way into readers' hearts, and the book's illustrations delightfully document the goings-on of a classroom throughout the seasons.

This book was a joy to read! My second grader loved the story as it goes through the whole year with events relating to what she has learned in school this year. I.Q. is adorable as he wants to become a student not just the class pet. I.Q. learns about the alphabet, colors, numbers and holidays along with students. But more than anything, I.Q. wants to be picked for STUDENT OF THE WEEK. When will it be his turn? This book is a great read and it will surely be a favorite with your children as it is with mine.

Every first grade class will enjoy this joyful trip through the school year. This fits month by month with the first grade curriculum. I.Q. will be a welcome pet and student that children can relate to. This book is a joy to read and share.

I read this book countless times to my son from kindergarten through 2nd grade. Now I keep it in my "stuff" to read aloud to my students when substitute teaching and needing to fill 10-15 minutes. I also used it to introduce my third graders, when student teaching, to reader's theatre. I typed the text out in script form with five narrators, and each part a different reader (some of the smaller parts -- one or two lines -- could be read by the same person.) There are enough lines for 28 speakers if you like!!
It's a really cute story and my students always love it.

Just One More Story

By Dugald Steer
A little pig wants to read about the olden days and so the little pig reads
The pig prince, The ugly pigling, piggerella, and last of all, The prince and the porker.
Then he settes down for a nap. I like this book because I like pigs and they are cute.

As a fourth grade teacher, I found this book perfect when teaching writing, story telling, and point of view. It is endearing and is a favorite in my school's library. Children will love reading this at home, especially if they are familiar with classic fairy tales....pig style!

I read this book during my flight, and was disappointed to have to put it down when the flight landed and I only had a few pages left. It is a very nicely written book that offers the author's (a traditional rabbi) interesting, funny, and touching perspective on everything from beekeeping to the Hevra Kaddisha (society that cares for the dead) to jogging and exercise. Altogether, the book gives you a fresh perspective on being Jewish in America and will make you laugh more than once as well.


I'm really surprised I haven't heard of this book earlier!

I thought that this book was very funy about tackling a very solemn set of issues. I would reccommend it

The Kosher Pig is one of the great undiscovered Jewish books of our generation. It is funny, charming, entertaining, eclectic, but it is also deceptively wise. Richard Israel is rooted in Jewish tradition, but he has spent a rich professional rabbinical career dealing with real live American Jews - and it shows. His Jewish knowledge in a technical sense is balanced and informed by his understanding of people. The combination is rare and valuable. His chapter on davenning [praying] is one of the best short introductions to the topic I've ever read. His essay on how to give a dvar torah [a short homiletical speech - except that's not quite right, because a dvar torah is so much less formal than the English "homiletical speech"] is absolutely the best on the topic I've ever read. A book to enjoy for oneself, and also a great gift for someone who is Jewishly questing and growing.

The Legend of the Whistle Pig Wrangler, written by Kate Allen is a wonderful, exciting, enjoyable book that no household should go without. I have enjoyed this book for 2 years now. It has an amazing plot with wonderful illustrations. This book is a must have.

This cute story about a whistle pig (marmot) wrangler with a big smile and the talent to whistle "tickles" your heart. The illustrations are fantastic and are what drew me to the book originally. The brilliance of the picture detail make the character's eyes look real and the story come to life. There is even a illustrative spoof on a Dolittle painting. The glossary of cowboy lingo was quite helpful while my daughter was reading the story to me. Your childen will enjoy having this book as a part of their book collection - it won't stay on the shelf!

This cute story about a whistle pig (marmot) wrangler with a big smile and the talent to whistle "tickles" your heart. The illustrations are fantastic and are what drew me to the book originally. The brilliance of the picture detail make the character's eyes look real and the story come to life. There is even a illustrative spoof on a Dolittle painting. The glossary of cowboy lingo was quite helpful while my daughter was reading the story to me. Your childen will enjoy having this book as a part of their book collection - it won't stay on the shelf!

Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse is a favorite in our house, from our youngest to the adults. As any parent with young childrent, you can excpet to read a favorite book over and over, almost to the point of going crazy, but this book is a rare treasure because you never giet tried of reading it. The illustrations are sweet and full of humor and emotion. The words flow easily off the tongue, and the moral is something any child or adult can relate to.

The Lilly Doll is adorable and very child friendly. And what's truly great is that er clothes come off and withstand regular use. A great find.

I love Lilly. She lets her emotions get the best of her, just like we all do. Then she has regrets for her actions. What's very nice is that Lilly turns to her parents for help. They understand and help her take steps to rectify the situation. This is a funny book for kids, but it also gives parents and kids a chance to talk about what Lilly did well and what she should have done differently.

As a second grade teacher, I find that every year Lilly is one of my class's favorite characters. She is bold, funny, and irresistably lovable. I especially love the part where she simply must show off her sparkly purple movie star sunglasses despite the warning from her teacher. Children can really relate to her. Kevin Henkes has truly created a character that will stand the test of time with children.

We intoduced this book at 10 months. A month later our son was shouting "BOO" each time he turned the page. This is an excellent tool to promote early independence and confidence with reading skill. Well Done!

A real page-turned for the under-2 set! My 16-month-old son has liked this book for several months --- he even giggles at the pictures. I've also seen kids at the library interact well with this book.

We bought this book for my then ten-month-old daughter when she all she wanted to do was play "peek-a-boo." She absolutely loved it! She laughed every time Preston or Mr. Wolf said "Boo." We still read this book every day and it still makes her laugh. It's an absolutely fantastic read with wonderful illustrations.