HAMSTERS TO THE RESCUE
by Ellen Stoll Walsh & illustrated by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Two male hamsters, Henry and Pell, find a feather during a visit to the beach. As they attempt to find the seagull who lost the feather, they meet a hermit crab and a fiddler crab. When the hamsters finally find the seagull, he explains that he can grow new feathers and he gives the hamsters some small feathers of their own to play with. The final page shows eight different kinds of shells that were included in the previous illustrations so young readers can go back to search for them. Walsh’s characteristic cut-paper collage illustrations are appealing, as usual, and the story, though slight, has moments of humor and includes a few simple facts about the beach environment and the creatures the hamsters meet. (Picture book. 3-6)