Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates

My debut picture book, working with my incredible colleague and friend, Cheryl Klein! Read about how we came up with the idea here!

“Two hamster roommates with wildly different personalities crammed in one cage—what could go wrong in this hilarious story about introverts versus extroverts?

It's been two hundred and five days since Henry has had peace. That's because it's been two hundred and five days since Marvin has come to live with him. Marvin, who loves to talk in the tunnels, talk while they're eating, talk while they're running. Marvin, who drives Henry up the cage walls. But when Henry finally loses his cool and gets exactly what he wanted, both hamsters have to figure out a way to live together and work through their communication mishaps.”

PRAISE

★ "Funny, cleverly building dialogue by Klein . . . Debut illustrator Alwar creates two highly and equally expressive rodent protagonists . . . readers should get a tickle out of how the freewheeling digital compositions open up the tiny world of the hamster cage in unexpected ways."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review | Read full review here
"Klein’s pithy storytelling both thoughtfully conveys the introvert-extrovert divide and gently teaches the art of apology. Alwar’s watercolor-textured digital illustrations are funny, expressive, and emotive, with a combination of spot and spread illustrations moving the story along . . . Whether for hamsters or humans, a lighthearted how-to guide to being a good roommate."
—Kirkus | Read full review here
"The story’s respect for Henry’s preference for solitude makes this book particularly refreshing; it focuses not on self-sacrifice but on boundaries and how guidelines for time spent together can make a relationship more meaningful . . . a gentle but humorous primer to youngsters on exercising their own agency and respecting that of others."
—BCCB
"With a palette that dynamically carries scenes from serene to anger-infused, the illustrations cue preschoolers into the underlying emotions behind the roommates’ misunderstanding. It’s funny, sincere, and teachable... Hamsters may make terrible roommates, but Klein and Alwar give beginning readers the path to harmony through honest conversation and admitting wrongdoing."
—School Library Journal