Hi Friends,
I just finished reading a new book called The Guinea Pig Chronicles. I was completely charmed by it and I hope you will be, too!
The Guinea Pig Chronicles
Patricial Maxwell Watts
Katie John
Matador, Nov. 2022
57 pages
Ages 7-9
Opening Lines:
Fluffy was a guinea pig, but not just any guinea pig! He was young, clever, brave and adventurous.
Summary:
The Guinea Pig Chronicles is an absolutely delightful book based on the adventures of some real-life guinea pigs.
The book is a collection of six stories, each centred around one or two of the author’s beloved pets. There’s Fluffy (the brave explorer), Hamish (the beautiful and brave piggie), Jynesse (the almost famous pig), Winter (who experiences snow with his little friend for the first time), Autumn and Valentino (a match made in heaven) and little Stripey (the last guinea pig to live with the author’s family).
What I Thought of The Guinea Pig Chronicles:
Not only did I love the charming stories, but I also adored the sketches of the various guinea pigs that were scattered throughout the book. They appear to be pencil crayon sketches and are absolutely lovely. Katie John is the talented illustrator.
I’ve had a variety of guinea pigs over my life also, so I really resonated with this sweet book. If I was still teaching Grade 1 I would definitely read one story a day to my class, as I think they’d inspire all sorts of wonderful animal writing!
This book is perfect for anyone who loves animals, and/or has their own guinea pig. I think it’s a wonderful book for parents to read aloud to their younger children (maybe 5-8 years), and for young independent readers (about 8-12 years).
Story Extensions:
1. Write your own pet adventure stories
2. Research guinea pigs — they’re fascinating little critters. The Guinea Dad can help you get started.
3. Create a “How to Care for a Guinea Pig” booklet (or any other pet, for that matter).
4. Draw your own guinea pig. Dragoart has a cute and easy little tutorial.
5. Invite some guinea pig friends to visit your classroom for the day!
6. The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie by Chris Van Allsburg is a great companion book.
Thanks for reading!
Thank you to Net Galley and Matador for a copy of the book. This post also contains Amazon affiliate links.
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