FICTION

Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race!

by Cynthia LORD
Hot Rod Hamster and the Wacky Whatever Race! illus. by Derek Anderson & Greg Paprocki. 32p. Scholastic. Aug. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545694421; pap. $3.99. ISBN 9780545626781; ebk. $3.99. ISBN 9780545626798. LC 2013046940.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—A story based on Lord's picture book Hot Rod Hamster (Scholastic, 2010). Hamster and his friends work together to build a race car for the Wacky Whatever Race, as his old one does not fit the rules for this race: it has to be made from a box, and it can't have a motor. Throughout the story, children are asked for input, e.g., "High wheels. Low wheels. Fat wheels. Slow wheels. Which would you choose?" After a major setback in the race and a quick and effective solution by Hamster, he crosses the finish line first. The familiar characters and predictable plot should appeal to fans of Hot Rod Hamster, and the easy text will draw fledgling readers. Bright, bold cartoons of Hamster's animal pals, all set against ample white space, add to the fun.—Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa
The Wacky Whatever Race requires a box car powered by neither motor nor paws touching the ground. Hot Rod Hamster and readers have several choices during building: "High wheels. Low wheels. Fat wheels. Slow wheels. Which would you choose?" When the car loses speed, the quick-thinking critter makes it roll without breaking the rules. Bright digital illustrations enliven the energetic rhyming text.
Reviewed by Lindsay Persohn , Jul 01, 2014

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