About this book

Hot Rod Hamster is looking for adventure!

Hamster and his friends go looking for an awesome adventure at Al's ATV Park. But Hamster needs YOUR help to make it the perfect ride, full of bumps, jumps, and down-and-dirty fun!

After roaring up hills, rolling over rocks, and splashing through mud puddles, the group halts at the sound of one word: "Help!" A family out for a picnic has gotten their ATV stuck in the mud! So Hamster and his friends stage a down-and-dirty rescue, proving that great adventure--and great new friends--come in all sizes!

Newbery Honor-winning author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson's beloved characters return. With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choices, and daredevil antics that make the acclaimed picture books sparkle, these Level 2 readers will be a sturdy stepping-stone for Hot Rod Hamster fans and series newcomers alike as they move on to independent reading.

Reviews

Praise for Hot Rod Hamster:

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year
A Parents' Choice Award Recommended Title
A Wyoming Buckaroo Award Winner
A Children's Choice Book Award Finalist
A Buckeye Children's Book Award Nominee (Ohio)
A Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee
A Goldfinch Award Nominee (Iowa)
A Magnolia Award Nominee (Mississippi)

"Junior racing fans will get a vicarious thrill with this story of a tiny driver who dares to burn rubber with the big boys. . . . Anderson's acrylics are boisterously large, colorful, and off-kilter--just like his swaggering protagonist." -- Booklist

"Newbery Honor author Lord's picture-book debut is a rollicking, roaring read. . . . Anderson's fluffy, jaunty illustrations are as full of energy as the rhymes. Young car enthusiasts won't be the only ones enamored of this hot-rodding rodent and his big canine buddy." -- Kirkus Reviews


Praise for Happy Birthday, Hamster:

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year

"Loud, exaggerated acrylics burst off the pages, and the plump, cuddly characters look like stuffed animals come to life. Children will enjoy the opportunity to participate and make choices throughout the book leading up to Hamster's surprise party." -- School Library Journal


Praise for Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania!:

"Lord and Anderson reteam for a third fun-filled, rhythmic jaunt with Hot Rod and his friends. Returning to what he loves best--things that GO--Anderson's bright-eyed, expressive acrylics extend Lord's enthusiastic rhyming tale to perfection. A treat for Hot Rod fans as well as lovers of trucks and carnival rides." -- Kirkus Reviews