I Love Guinea Pigs!

Seems an odd place to start, but here are three good kid-reads about… guinea pigs… and yes, these are what we happened to be reading at my house today…

Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue
Humorously bug-eyed from watching too much TV, the four pet friends in this book find out what it means to be REAL… and one regular guinea pig grows up and discovers what he sees on TV will never be as good as what he has sitting right beside him – loyal friends to the end! Super Guinea Pig to the Rescue by Udo Weigelt grabbed my kids’ attention with the adorably illustrated (by Nina Spranger) canary, goldfish, and hound dog – the one to save his friend in the end. The trio was challenged by their delightfully-deceived guinea friend’s delusion derived from the romanticized images of a superhero he saw on TV (that was, ironically, always on). 2007/Walker Publishing Company.

Oh, Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems
If guineas delight you or your kids as they endear themselves to me, you will love another new children’s book, Oh, Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems by Susan Katz. Actually, the title threw me as I was expecting a series of unrelated poems about guineas, but this book is really a lengthy character introduction to one special guinea, Theodore – told in a story-like sequence of short and individually-titled poems. Chubby and voluptuously fluffy, the new pet quickly becomes his owner’s beloved friend. Illustrated by Stacey Schuett/2007/Clarion Books.

I Love Guinea Pigs
Do I even need to say, “I Love Guinea Pigs” – which is also the title of the last book I will mention about the fabulously furry critters. Written by Dick King-Smith and deliciously illustrated by Anita Jeram who renders cuddly guineas of all shapes, sizes, and colors in ample amount – I counted more than thirty on the first three pages – this book is a purrrr-fect and simple introductory guide (yet looks and reads like a picture book) to keeping guinea pigs as pets. I kept guineas as a child and shared the wonder of this experience with my kids as well who also now have a place in their hearts for the perky pets with personality plus. 1994/Candlewick Press.