A Guinea Pig Story Book for Children

As someone who has enjoyed the company of many guinea pigs (also called cavies) in my life, I was thrilled to stumble across this book several years ago. Not only is the story sweet, but the illustrations are exquisite and the factual information about guinea pig care is spot on. This book was a favorite of my children.

Our family has had many guinea pig pets. Most were rescues from an animal shelter or from people who had allergies or needed to move. We had males and females, short-haired and Abyssinian, in various colors. They are sweet pets, requiring only clean bedding, vitamin-C-enriched pellets, plenty of fresh water, and fresh fruits and vegetables for chewing. They make a variety of delightful noises, including a trilling similar to the "tribbles" of Star Trek fame.

This book was a natural for our family. The author has obviously spent time interacting with cavies and observing their habits. The story is about a teacher with a classroom guinea pig named Sammy. The beautiful illustrations look like watercolor paintings and show great detail. The children are shown taking care of Sammy while the teacher explains important principles of basic cavy care and feeding. Sammy seems upset and is squealing loudly. After checking him for illness or injury, the class figures out that Sammy is just excited because it is Monday and he hasn't seen them for two days!

This book would be a good gift for a child who wants a guinea pig for a pet. Read it along with the child and discuss the responsibilities as well as the fun of adding a pet to the family. This is also perfect for an elementary school library or preschool story time. Other good story-time resources about animals follow: