Review by Booklist Review
Broadly suggesting that if socialization can work for rodents, it can work for human cohabitants, too, Klein puts two hamsters--Marvin, a loud and extroverted babbler, and Henry, a retiring sort--in a cage and leaves them to sort out their differences. Henry lasts for 205 days until, unable to find even a moment's solitude or peace, he, at last, explodes: "Just don't talk! Go away! And LEAVE ME ALONE!" One blissfully quiet day later, Marvin sidles up to apologize for being obnoxious, Henry, in turn, apologizes for saying mean things, and the two work out mutually agreeable times to talk and to be silent. "It's a beautiful morning. Day Two Hundred and Seven. It feels like our Day One." In the cartoon illustrations, Alwar gives the odd couple (Marvin light of hue, Henry dark) anthropomorphic postures and expressions but depicts them as properly fuzzy and round, too, so the cuteness factor is preserved. It's a natural for storytimes, what with all the rousing noise, the calming interval, the happy resolution--and, of course, hamsters.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"I don't bother HIM," says Henry the hamster of his intolerably exuberant cage roomie, Marvin. "Why won't he do the same for ME?" Finally, Marvin's intrusive cheer ("Seeds! Seeds are my favorite!") and ceaseless chatter (even with a mouth full of the beloved seeds) cause Henry to blow his top. Thanks to funny, cleverly building dialogue by Klein (A Year of Everyday Wonders), he does so in a marvelously performative way: "You have seeds EVERY DAY. They can't be your favorite if you NEVER HAVE ANYTHING ELSE!" Debut illustrator Alwar creates two highly and equally expressive rodent protagonists--Henry's looks of browbeaten disdain are matched page for page by Marvin's wide-mouthed enthusiasm--and readers should get a tickle out of how the freewheeling digital compositions open up the tiny world of the hamster cage in unexpected ways. While the story could be read as a guide for détente between introverts and extroverts, any two personality types could benefit from the skillfully rendered and touching wrap-up: Henry and Marvin realize that both need to stop assuming each knows what the other wants, and establish some ground rules. Or, as Henry says with neat eloquence, "Maybe if we talk more, we can be quiet more too." Ages 3--7. Agent (for Klein and Alwar): Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Brown hamster Henry and white hamster Marvin are here to show emerging readers all the reasons they are terrible roommates. With repetition and style, Klein's furry anti-hero Henry is fed up with Marvin's natural exuberance and daily good cheer. Marvin talks and demonstrates and engages with Henry all day long. In Alwar's comic illustrations, drawn to show the constant contrast between Marvin's antics and Henry's face, readers learn that our disgruntled narrator has questions: "He's always talking, while I'm nice. I don't bother him. Why won't he do the same for me?" It's the classic friction between introverts and extroverts, and Henry can't take it any longer. Exploding in anger at Marvin, he gets a day of peace and quiet, and witnessing Marvin's sad apology, at last has answers: "I like the quiet. But he didn't know that. He wanted me to talk. But I didn't see that. Maybe if we talk more, we can be quiet more too." With a palette that dynamically carries scenes from serene to anger-infused, the illustrations cue preschoolers into the underlying emotions behind the roommates' misunderstanding. It's funny, sincere, and teachable. VERDICT Hamsters may make terrible roommates, but Klein and Alwar give beginning readers the path to harmony through honest conversation and admitting wrongdoing.--Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The trials and tribulations of hamster cohabitation. Henry and Marvin have been roommates for 205 days. Marvin is a cheerful, chatty, cream-colored hamster who enthuses nonstop about sunflower seeds, chatters away on the wheel, and incessantly interrupts Henry's peaceful tube-crawling, reading, and resting time. Henry, the beleaguered brown hamster narrator, tells his tale of woe in a melodramatic soliloquy, complete with film-noir spotlights, tally marks on the wall, and many a heavy-eyebrowed look to readers. "On Day Two Hundred and Six, though…" Henry finally snaps, giving chipper Marvin a thorough dressing-down. Finally left in peace, Henry enjoys a day of silence until some clear communication from Marvin sets the story straight. Henry reflects ruefully, "I like the quiet. / But he didn't know that. / He wanted me to talk. / But I didn't see that." The story ends on a sweet note, with Henry apologizing and both sides establishing new ground rules that meet both of their needs. Klein's pithy storytelling both thoughtfully conveys the introvert-extrovert divide and gently teaches the art of apology. Alwar's watercolor-textured digital illustrations are funny, expressive, and emotive, with a combination of spot and spread illustrations moving the story along. Charming endpapers show Marvin and Henry--before, and after. Whether for hamsters or humans, a lighthearted how-to guide to being a good roommate. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
