Book Talk: Guinea Pig Pet Shop Private Eye: Hamster and Cheese by Colleen AF Venable

Hamster and cheese: by Colleen AF Venable.

Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye, #1
Hamster and Cheese
by Colleen AF Venable, Illustrated by Stephanie Yue
Call Number J GN VEN #1
WVPL - BB

Mr. Venezi's Pets & Stuff is facing a crisis. The koalas will be sent away if no one can figure out who keeps stealing Mr. Venezi's sandwiches. The koalas (who later learn they're actually hamsters) want to find out who it is, but they sleep all day. So enter Sasspants, the Guinea Pig, who is dubbed "Guinea PI" in a bizarre set of circumstances. She'll find an answer but mostly so her new partner, Hamisher the hamster, will leave her alone.

In this brightly colored graphic novel (a book in comic book style), readers will follow Sasspants as she rigs up tricks to find answers, quiz the forgetful goldfish, bother the birds, and saves the beauty queen chinchillas. With the wrong suspects, she'll work through the case until finally she gets an answer. Readers will be laughing and guessing throughout the story, only to be surprised at who the sandwich eater really is. Who knew a pet shop could be so much fun when the humans aren't looking?

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

This Is Not My Hat: by Jon Klassen

Note: I wrote this shortly after the book came out as it was getting a lot of praise at the time (and was a New York Times Best Seller). Here's a bit on what the 2013 Caldecott Book about.

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Call Number: JJ KLA
WVPL - BB

If this is not your hat then where did the hat come from?

Little Fish has stolen a hat. It isn't his hat. It belongs to a bigger fish and our little fish is pretty sure that the big fish won't mind. The hat looks better on him anyway.

Follow Little Fish's words, while the images show what Big Fish is up to (and sometimes what the Little Fish is up to). Will the Little Fish get away with stealing the hat?

Maybe...but that's for the reader to find out in this subtle and funny (in a different sort of way) story.
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It's simple a story about a fish stealing another fish's hat, but the words show Little Fish might be wrong about Big Fish (and who that Little Fish trusts). Depending on your little one, preview this book first, as the ending might need a little explanation.

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Illustrated by the author
Call number: JJ SMI
WVPL - BB

Who is Grandpa Green? A young boy is traveling through a garden. Words are interspersed throughout the topiaries that are telling a story of another boy who grew up to be a man and have a family. The young boy admires the topiaries, thinking about what each one is explaining. Grandpa is growing older and is losing things. Things only a young boy can find and only the garden can hold.

A beautiful story about a great-grandparent who has stories to tell. The stories are told for the boy through the topiaries as he finds Grandpa Green's  missing items. A wonderful touch to this story would be to see if the child can find the items as the boy does (although, in some pages, the boy all ready has it). Use this story to discuss memory loss or the stories our families have to tell or when you are taking a trip to a garden with topiaries.