Travels of an Extraordinary Hamster

Gr 2–4—Told in a series of short chapters, Travels of an Extraordinary Hamster chronicles the adventures of a self-centered hamster and his oblivious friends. Vignettes often start with Hamster interacting with one of his pals. He usually misreads the situation or considers only his own feelings, a punch line or quip is attempted, and the formula is then repeated for the next chapter. Most jokes don't stick their landing, and the sardonic and snarky humor often comes across as clunky. The book meekly moves forward with a voyage to the Arctic, but the story goes nowhere. Characters remain unchanged, with Hamster learning nothing from his narcissistic observations, never once seeing the error in his ways. The lack of any real conflict makes this a light read but ultimately a pointless one. Martin's folky artwork does add a certain charm but not enough to make the trip worthwhile.