Memoirs of a Hamster

By: Devin Scillian
Illustrated by: Tim Bowers
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Publication Date: May 2013
ISBN: 978-1585368310
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: June 14, 2013

Life is good for Seymour the hamster. He has a great cage full of fresh, deep shavings, lots of seeds, clean water and, oh, yummy, those wonderful yogurt treats. When his new super-de-duper wheel arrives, well, Seymour is in heaven. As he says, “My life is perfect.” Perfect, that is, until sneaky Pearl the cat tells him a big, fat lie.

Pearl thinks of Seymour as a tasty snack and all she has to do to enjoy that snack is get the little hamster out of his cage. When she tells him that the sunroom is filled with yogurt drops, the staircase is made of sunflower seeds and there’s plenty of room outside of his cage to run around without a wheel, the trusting hamster decides to escape from his cage. Seymour makes his escape plan, and with a little help from “sweet Pearl,” his freedom is assured. Alas, there are no yogurt drops waiting for him in the sunroom, just a hungry cat.

Memoirs of a Hamster is one of those rare, wonderful children’s books that gets you laughing on page one and then never stops. Seymour is just so lovable, and the fact that a wheel and yogurt drops are enough to send him into a permanent state of bliss will endear him to everyone. This hamster tale teaches a great lesson on being happy with what you have in a very enjoyable way.

Quill says: Memoirs of a Hamster is goofy, silly, and a whole lotta fun!