Hamster Magic (Magical Mix-Ups #1)

Gr 2-4-The Willow family has just moved into a rickety old house, and Abner, Tate, Derek, and Celia have made an incredible discovery: their pet hamster has the ability to grant wishes. Celia, frustrated with her status as the youngest, accidentally blurts out her wish-to be bigger. While she is envisioning being a bigger person, Hammy the Third actually turns her into a huge hamster. Now the children must figure out how to reverse this wayward wish before their parents find out-and they must do it before the sun comes up. Written for readers who are just beginning to tackle chapter books, this title may find an audience with those who fancy hamsters or who have them as pets. Other readers may find little else to draw them into the story. Besides the somewhat ridiculous premise, another flaw is that the origin of "hamster magic" is barely explained-supposedly burrowing animals will accrue it the more time they spend underground. When Hammy the Third doesn't have enough magic on his own to reverse Celia's wish, all the burrowing animals band together to transform her back into a little girl. It's this deus-ex-machina approach to conflict resolution that makes the story hard to swallow. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations add some charm and help readers to visualize the characters, but they don't save this title from being a marginal purchase, at best.

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2011:

Having just moved into an old house in the country, siblings Abner, Tate, Derek, and Celia Willow find a hamster in the basement, whom they stick in their former hamster's cage and name Hammy. Hammy is no ordinary hamster: not only can he talk, he can grant wishes. Of course, magic's always a dangerous thing in the hands of the unaccustomed, and little Celia's wish to be big goes awry, turning her into a gigantic hamster and leaving Hammy all out of magic. The four kids (three kids and one giant hamster, actually), hoping to de-hamsterize Celia, venture out into the night to meet the Great Hamster. It's an unusual premise, to be sure, but there is something both appealing and remarkably nostalgic in this furry tale of cooperation among siblings and magical animals interacting with the human world. At the core of the slim novel is the relationship of the four siblings; even the Great Hamster commends them on being such supportive "litter-mates." Fans of animal fiction will revel in Celia's nighttime antics, as she is unable to stop herself from acting like a hamster, running like mad, performing acrobatics, and gnawing everything in site. Dorman's black-and-white illustrations, partnering sturdy lines with soft gray shading, provide abundant imagery for the nocturnal adventures, and his girl-turned-hamster has a remarkably endearing expression. This is a sweet, simple narrative that will appeal to fans of Marion Dane Bauer and those who like their animal tales with a touch of magic. HM