Hamster and Cheese

When the "G" in the "GUINEA PIG" sign at the pet shop falls down, Hamisher the hamster thinks a genuine private eye (PI) can help solve the mystery of the stolen sandwiches before it's too late. Eager to get this annoying hamster out of her face, Sasspants the guinea pig agrees to help. Can the two of them suss out who has been pilfering the provolone (and tomato, and lettuce, and bread)?

This is a super clever and quick read. I sought it out after reading the creative duo's more recent offering of the Katie the Catsitter graphic novel series. This book is definitely for a younger audience but it has the same kind of humor. The story contains a bunch of little references to classic mystery tropes, including red herrings. The show more illustrations are cheery and lively, and the book ends with some actual facts about animals. show less

Sasspants is a cranky guinea pig by day, wanting nothing more than to be left in peace to read her books. But when the final G disappears from her sign, she becomes Detective Pants, Guinea PI(G). Enlisted to help Hamisher the hamster find out who’s stealing the sandwiches that Mr. Venizi, the pet shop owner, brings to work each day, Detective Pants travels around the pet shop questioning the other animals, making and testing hypothesis, and eventually cracks the case. The graphic novel format allows a surprisingly in-depth story to be packed into this short book, and the brightly-colored drawings have a classic comic book sensibility and a great sense of movement. Each kind of animal in the pet shop displays a distinctive personality, show more and a few clever little touches (such as Hamisher suddenly appearing in Andy Warhol garb, holding a drawing of a can of peas, when he’s called on to sketch the perpetrator) will elicit chuckles from older readers. The book ends with two pages of scientific facts that are informative but still written in informal language that will appeal to the book’s target demographic. Recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries and/or graphic novels. Ages 6-10. show less

Hamster and Cheese is about a smart hamster detective solving mysteries in his pet shop, starting with a case of missing cheese. With fun twists and lots of laughs, it's the perfect mix of mystery and animal antics. I would use this book in a second grade classroom, because they would find it funny, and would enjoy reading it.

A missing letter changes a guinea pig into a PI, and a missing sandwich turns the denizens of a pet shop against each other. It took me a few pages to get into this world, but it was fun once I sorted out the animal characters.
I'd give this to kids who would get a kick out of a name like Sasspants, and who agree that hamsters ware super-cute.

I bought a couple graphic novels from Graphic Universe (Lerner) and they are here! Mr. Badger and Mrs. Fox: The Meeting is a simple, sweet little story. I ended up putting it in the easy readers, since I have decided to shelve easy reader comics IN the easy readers, because they weren't checking out in the juvenile comics and I have made a handy list.

Before I say anything about this comic though, would you all please join me?

"SHE'S SOOO CUUUUTE!!! SQUEEEE!!!"

Ahem. I loves me my guinea pigs. And Sasspants, Guinea PI "It's Guinea Pig! Somebody Stole My G!" is simply adorable. She just wants to read, eat, and relax. But an irritatingly hyperactive little koala (koala??) is desperate for help and sure that Sasspants is just the one to solve show more the Mystery of the Missing Sandwich. I thought about putting this one in easy readers, b/c it's a simple little story and very funny and the vocabulary is at a good level for a beginning reader, but the dialogue of the different animals is a little too complicated on top of the name-switching and I think a beginning reader might find it frustrating to keep track of all the different elements.

This doesn't mean I will refrain from recommending it to all small children wandering about in the vicinity of the easy readers, of course.

Verdict: Cute, sassy, and squee-ingly funny, I'm looking forward to more of this series!

ISBN: 978-0761345985; Published sometime between 1997 and 2010 by Lerner (Graphic Universe); Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Purchased for my personal collection. show less

What happens when Mr. Venezi's sandwich goes missing? This looks like a job curious guinea pig. Through this graphic novel a mystery is investigated in a messed up pet shop where the hamsters are "koalas" and the koalas are "geckos", but will it be solved? This book appeals to third or fourth grade students who take interest in comic strip like books.

Sasspants (Guinea Pig P.I) is out on a case to solve what happen to the missing sandwiches.