The Adventures of Harry Stevenson (Simon & Schuster) is the first book in a new young fiction series by wonderful author/illustrator Ali Pye. It actually features two stories in one so there’s a very welcome double dose of the eponymous guinea pig hero!
Harry is just an ordinary guinea pig and would be quite happy with plenty of snacks, naps and hugs from his owner, Billy. Instead he constantly becomes embroiled in all sorts of accidental adventures, which are great fun to read about. The illustrations are colourful and full of character, as expected from Ali Pye. Plenty of guinea pig noises (‘Wheeeeek!’) also pepper the lively text.
In the first tale, the Stevenson family are moving house. Harry’s penchant for dandelions proves to be his undoing as he sneaks out of his cage for a scoff and gets left behind. I don’t think I’m really ruining anything by saying that his mission to find his family again is, of course, successful in the end – his method of getting home is ingenious and hilarious (and involves pizza). In the second story, Harry is enjoying Billy’s birthday party in the garden when he drifts off across the city attached to a bunch of balloons!
Wacky and warm, this series would be perfect for fans of The Adventures of Pug and Dave Pigeon.
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