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Hamster and Cheese: Book 1 (Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye) Paperback – January 1, 2010

by Colleen AF Venable (Author), Stephanie Yue (Illustrator)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 184 ratings
See all formats and editions
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There's a sandwich thief in Mr. Venezi's pet shop.

Everyone is a suspect, from the chinchillas to the goldfish. Never fear! The world's fluffiest detective on the case: Sasspants, PI(G).

By day, Sasspants is your average book-loving, gizmo-inventing guinea pig. By night she solves pet shop mysteries with the help of her sidekick, Hamisher the hamster. Our furry little heroes will stop at nothing to find the sandwich thief! This is the first book in the Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye series.

"Absolutely adorable drawings, blended with witty dialogue in a way that makes this comic a perfect read for all ages . . . and Owly would like to add that 'little Hamisher and his drawings are equal to awesome.'"―Andy Runton, author of Owly

"Move over Miss Marple, never mind the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, here's the real mistress of the whodunit. She's sharp. And she's furry. This one's a keeper."―Mark Siegel, illustrator of To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 8 years, from customers
  2. Part of Series
    Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye
  3. Print length
    48 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    2 - 5
  6. Lexile measure
    GN510L
  7. Dimensions
    7.25 x 0.13 x 7.5 inches
  8. Publisher
    Graphic Universe ™
  9. Publication date
    January 1, 2010
  10. ISBN-10
    0761354794
  11. ISBN-13
    978-0761354796
  12. See all details
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Hamster and Cheese: Book 1 (Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye)
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And Then There Were Gnomes: Book 2 (Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye)
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The Ferret's a Foot: Book 3 (Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye)
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Who is stealing Mr. Venezi’s sandwiches? The befuddled pet-shop owner misidentifies the store’s animals, leading the hamsters to think they’re koalas. In this first book in the Guinea PIG, Pet Shop Private Eye graphic-novel series, Hamisher the koala-hamster thinks Sasspants the guinea pig is a private investigator because the second G on her cage’s sign has fallen off, so he asks her to investigate. They travel through the pet shop, questioning the various animal suspects (rabbits, a snake, a parrot), and Sasspants decides to set a trap for the thief by disguising the shop’s turtle as a sandwich. Grumpy Sasspants, hyper Hamisher, creepy Gerry the snake, the goldfish (whom Mr. Venezi calls kangaroos), and the other animals all have distinctive personalities. Young readers will appreciate the zaniness of the pet shop and the fun mystery, and Yue’s colorful art uses a straightforward panel design that’s easy to follow. The book includes fun facts about snakes and other animals Mr. Venezi thinks he has. Grades 1-3. --Kat Kan

Review

"[An] electrically charged comic-book story.'"
--Kirkus Reviews



"[A] humorous mystery. Children who are just beginning to read graphic novels independently will enjoy solving the case with Sasspants. The full-color cartoons enhance the comic appeal."
--School Library Journal



"Children can look and guess for themselves about the clues and red herrings the book presents. The humor in the characters' personalities and dialogue makes this a lively and entertaining book."
--Publishers Weekly



"Young readers will appreciate the zaniness of the pet shop and the fun mystery, and Yue’s colorful art uses a straightforward panel design that’s easy to follow."
--Booklist



"Yue's graphic panels, colored by Hi-Fi Design, make the most of the comic potential and extend it with plenty of visual slapstick. Middle graders will close this and ask right away for Detective Pants's next caper."
--Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Graphic Universe ™ (January 1, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0761354794
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0761354796
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ GN510L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 5
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 0.13 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 184 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Stephanie Yue

    Stephanie Yue

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Hi, I'm Stephanie Yue, and I draw things. I grew up in Atlanta, Beijing, and Hong Kong, and studied illustration in New York City. I got my start working at game design and animation studios while publishing my own comics. I've been working as a freelancer since 2008, taking on everything from comics lettering to sketch cards to coloring to website design. In 2010, I signed on with Barry Goldblatt Literary and I've been illustrating graphic novels, picture books, and chapter books for kids. You may even find my work in issues of SpongeBob Comics!

    In my other life, I'm an extended overland scooterist, dedicated martial artist, itinerant blogger, and professional wanderer. I like riding two-wheeled things, eating and drinking all the things, and climbing things that probably weren't meant for climbing.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Colleen A. F. Venable

    Colleen A. F. Venable

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Colleen Ann Felicity Venable has had many odd jobs—receptionist, book designer, bat hospital worker, lumberjack, secret Twitter ghostwriter for a very famous comedian, accidental creator of national holidays (National Pancake Day)—but she had her big break when she published Kiss Number 8, the first graphic novel written by a woman to ever be nominated for the National Book Award. She went on to win a pile of accolades and her most recent series, Katie the Catsitter, debuted at #7 on the bestseller list and has been nominated for fourteen state awards and counting.

    Her other books include the humor/inspiration book The Swayze Year: You're Not Old You're Just Getting Started (co-created with Meghan Daly and illustrated by Tara O'Connor); picture books The Oboe Goes Boom Boom Boom (illustrated by Lian Cho) which won a School Library Journal Best Book award and Mervin the Sloth Is About to Do The Best Thing in the World (illustrated by Ruth Chan); and her graphic novel series Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye (illustrated by Stephanie Yue) which nominated for an Eisner for Best Publication for Kids and awarded “Best Book” recognition from Kirkus Reviews, NYPL, Bank Street, and the Junior Library Guild.

    Colleen was named a Publisher's Weekly StarWatch Top 5 Finalist and now works as a full-time writer splitting her time between North Adams, MA and Brooklyn, NY.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
184 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Suzanne
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute book
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
My daughter loves Guinea pigs and graphic novels so we tried this book. It was much thinner than I thought it would be and with less words , more comparable to a picture book than a chapter book like most graphic novels. But she absolutely loved the book and read it multiple times in the first day alone! The illustrations are very cute!
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Paul D. West
5.0 out of 5 stars Meet Sasspants and Hamisher
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2013
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Sasspants is a Guinea pig that just wants to be left alone to read books. Hamisher is an excitable hamster that pesters Sasspants in a good natured way and convinces Sasspants to solve their first crime. Meet all the characters and try to keep them straight.

The Guinea PI series has been a favorite of our family for over a year. This graphic novel series has provided hours of enjoyment for us. Our now seven year old sits in our lap and we read the story to him out loud, while he follows along in the pictures. The content is very kid-appropriate. No violence, very little to be scared of, lots of cute but quirky characters. Yet there are some very real social situations that are illustrated, so that our child learns cultural cues and norms. The narrative is layered and convoluted, making it interesting for adults. The characters are so well written and illustrated that it is easy to find voices for them as we read aloud. All in all, I highly recommend this for anyone five and older that enjoy animals and their personalities.
3 people found this helpful
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Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars Got my child reading again!
Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2020
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I bought this book and the rest of the series after seeing it mentioned in an article for children who don't really like to read. My child dislikes reading unless they're graphic novels. The trouble is that most graphic novels are made for older kids and I have a sensitive 8 year old who should not be exposed to most of that content. Anyways, my child is an animal lover and has 2 guinea pigs so I thought I would try these. This book series has been wonderful and my child is enjoying reading and it's age appropriate material! I'm so glad I found this series!
4 people found this helpful
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Jane
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2014
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Cute book.
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Andie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great graphic book for kids
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2021
Verified Purchase
Our grandson likes guinea pigs, so I thought he might enjoy this book. He LOVED it and begged for the rest in the series! They were a gift for his 8th birthday. We read them together, and he loves the sarcasm. He didn't understand some of the jokes, so it gave me a chance to introduce him to connotation, denotation, implication, and inference. He loved the dialogue so much that he had us memorize some of his favorite lines and act them out! I wish there were a dozen books in this series!
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Space Salamander
5.0 out of 5 stars Daughter's new favorite
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
My 6-year-old daughter is an avid reader who really loves graphic novels... and hamsters and guinea pigs... so this was the perfect combo for her. She's read it at least half a dozen times already and still asks for it regularly as her bedtime story.

It's a really cute storyline about trying to catch a sandwich thief-- along with whoever stole the "G" from the "Guinea Pig" sign, turning him into "Guinea PI." There's a sweet ending and lots of funny moments throughout. I've already ordered book 2 in the series (can't wait for it to arrive!) and suspect several others will be on the Christmas list.
One person found this helpful
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A. Dein
5.0 out of 5 stars Daughter (8) Loves It!
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2020
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Daughter loves and has asked for sequels. It is humerus and perfect for kids interested in hamsters and the like. It is comic book style. My daughter is 8, in 3rd grade. She did not have a problem reading this on her own and often brought it to me to show me parts she liked.
One person found this helpful
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MMG
5.0 out of 5 stars Good series for reluctant readers
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
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This is a great series for reluctant readers - especially if they like animals. It's funny and the mysteries keep them interested.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Anita
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for kids!!
Reviewed in Canada on November 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is great for kids, entertaining and funny! My 7-year old son suddenly LOVES reading because of this book and this whole series. My only complaint is I wish there were more books in the series! Bonus, it's fun for the parents too!
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Cdn customer
5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful
Reviewed in Canada on December 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
The book is smaller, about 3/4 a printed page, colourful, cute artwork and story
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John S. Roff
5.0 out of 5 stars Hamsters go Aus.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
My lad and his girlfriend live near Sydney Aus. and have recently bought a couple of Guinea Pigs, so I sent this over as a kind of jokey gift. They were amused but the hamsters are having a little difficulty holding the book up to read it, so they take turns reading it to them at bedtime. Cheers.JR.
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Laurence jones
4.0 out of 5 stars its a good book =]
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
it has a very decent story-line, it has a lot to do with animals (I love animals by the way) and it is very creative. so technically 4 stars. =]

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Luciann Scrimshaw
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2020
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Yahoo nice 😠 😬 😡 😇 😅 😆 :-P :-P :-P ;-) :-( :-) book mine blown amazing kabooy lol
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