Review Detail

NED AND THE GREAT GARDEN HAMSTER RACE is a cute picture book about helping others. Ned is very excited for The Great Garden Hamster Race, and he is determined to win. As he begins racing, he is in first place, so he ignores the lost slug, pigeons asking for food, and the voice from a hole in the ground - until he gets stuck in a branch and needs help of his own. When big teeth show up, Ned is relieved to find it is a fox who does not eat hamsters and helps him instead. Given a second chance, Ned runs backward in the race to help the ones he passed earlier, and when he gets to the finish line, he finds the other hamsters waiting for him to cross together.

What I loved: This was a simple and cute story about the importance of helping others and being kind, even when it can be tough to do so. These themes will resonate with young readers who understand the desire to win but what it means to help others too. As Ned sees when he gets stuck, kindness can go a long way and is more important than winning (though he also kind of does that too).

The text is clear, easy to read, and very simple, making this a straight-forward read that will work for preschoolers and elementary school aged readers. The illustrations are colorful and comedic, which adds to the fun of the read with a unique style. The themes come across easily, and the book ends on a positive note.

What left me wanting more: I wish there was a bit more context as to why the other hamsters waited for Ned to all cross together, as I think this would help the plot to complete. As it is, it is unclear why Ned was determined to be first but then the others waited so they could all cross together (did they see Ned helping out and want to wait because of that? Other reason?).

Final verdict: NED AND THE GREAT GARDEN HAMSTER RACE is a sweet picture book about helping others with delightful illustrations and a simple story.