HAZEL THE GUINEA PIG

Three easily read episodes, realistic except for the guinea pigs' spritely conversations that—though they do enjoy choosing just the right word—are mostly plausible verbalizations of what the little creatures might be experiencing. In the first chapter, fat Hazel gets caught in a boot and has to be extricated with scissors; in the second, she's joined by Tobacco, who has a contretemps with visitor Fudge—unlike the children, who imagine that Tobacco might father Fudge's babies, the guinea pigs know that Fudge is male. Later, Hazel gives birth, and her small owner, having bravely agreed to sell the whole litter to the pet shop, buys back the runt and is allowed to keep her. The comfortably ordinary events, narrated with enough vigor to hold attention, offer some insight into animal behavior. Boldly delineated b&w illustrations contribute to the inviting format. (Fiction. 6-9)