Stanley book series by William Bee

 

Fans of the gentle hamster will want to know: 

What occupation will Stanley tackle next? Kirkus

Today my book buddy and I visited a Sydney bookstore at one of our famous city locations - Bondi Beach. WOW such an eclectic store with tons and tons of book stock and so many new copies of 'old books' and vintage books and a few latest titles (for adults and children).  Unlike other shops that send their books back to the publisher 3-6 months after they have been in their store, this shop, with the sweet name Gertrude and Alice, clearly keep the books on their shelves waiting to find their new home. Oh and I highly recommend their cafe too. 

My book friend is so much more expert than me with picture books. She spied this one and then showed me that this is part of an extensive series (15+ books) just perfect for preschool aged children. I thought Stanley was a guinea pig but in fact he is a hamster. Either way he is adorable. These books come as paperbacks for around AUS$15 and board books. 

Blurb: It's another busy day at Stanley's Library! Stanley loads his van with books and sets off to the village green. Who will visit today and which books will they choose? Later, Stanley arrives back at the library for a special event - a famous author has come to read from her new book!

Delightfully celebrates the art of librarianship. Kirkus

Stanley the Baker is the most recent title (2024). The first book was Stanley's Garage (2015).

If your young reading companion would like to read other books about hamsters check out this post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything.

Here is an interview with William Bee and Let's Talk about Picture Books. Check out this Kirkus Star review of Stanley's Numbers. 

The books follow a strict format, from the cover onwards. This is, in fact, much more fun—and fresh—than it sounds. For instance, what we call the “tool pages” (as that was what they were in the first book) are interesting to make different each time. We always start with a building (building site in Stanley the Builder), and then end with Stanley returning home for bath/supper/bed.

Here are the US editions of the Stanley series. Can you spy the diner which was a cafe and the store which was a shop?

I did know the name William Bee because I loved this 'subversive book' when I read and shared it many years ago. Unfortunately, the temporary staff in my former school library disposed of this precious book:

William Bee was born in London but now lives in the English countryside. As well as writing children’s books, he races a vintage sports car, is an international skier, and when at home, tends his lawns and meadow. William Bee loves Saturdays, the colour green, tabby cats, the Queen, Rolls-Royces, fruit scones, David Niven, and, of course, staying home in Suffolk. In addition to being an author/illustrator, William is an artist and commercial designer and has worker for renowned fashion houses including Issey Miyake and Paul Smith. His first book was “Whatever”, which was followed by “And the Train Goes…” Walker Books

Beetle and the Hamster by Hilary McKay

I have a good friend who adores the writing of Hilary McKay but she has never mentioned this little series to me. There are four Beetle and Friends titles and I think Beetle and the Hamster might be the second book and so I plan to look for Beetle and Lulu which perhaps introduces these characters. I am curious about how Beetle got his name.

Henry has a hamster but it took him weeks to persuade his mother to let him have this special pet. Beetle, his friend, also has a hamster but he didn't seem to have any family problems. This hamster just appeared or so it seems.  Henry asks Beetle to explain but he refuses.

"I can't tell you because I said I wouldn't. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone.
Not far away sat a girl called Lulu. Beetle carefully did not look at Lulu, and Lulu carefully did not look at Beetle. They were the only people in the world who knew how Beetle had got his hamster."

I hope you are full of questions. I cannot tell you how Lulu is involved, where the hamster came from or why Beetle says this is is such a huge secret.  You need to look for Beetle and the Hamster to discover the truth but I do guarantee you will never guess this plot and it will leave you and the youngest readers in your life laughing out loud.  You might also discover something about loyalty and promises.

Sadly this is a very old book (2002) so it is long out of print. This is especially a pity because this is another one of those little easy chapter books with a terrific story that is just perfect for beginning readers.  Read more about the writing of Hilary McKay here.  You might also read my review of Lulu and the Hedgehog in the rain. I cannot find anything to confirm this but I think the Lulu series (2012-2013) are an offshoot from Beetle and Friends (2002).

Pigsticks and Harold and the incredible journey by Alex Milway

There are not many books that I can say with absolute certainty "this book is a winner" but Pigsticks and Harold and the incredible journey truly is a WINNER!  The opening sentence sets the tone and quickly establishes the humour.

"Pigsticks was the last in a noble line of pigs.  His ancestors had done great things, but Pigsticks hadn't done anything yet.  As he sat in his study, reading about his fore pigs, Pigsticks made a momentous decision."

Pigsticks decides to travel to the ends of the earth but he will need an assistant - to carry his gear, cook the food and generally cope with all manner of hazards that are sure to arise on this adventure.  None of the local candidates seem suitable and then unexpectedly Harold, a young Hamster, arrives at Pigstick's door.  Harold has no interest in travel but the offer of cake (three cakes including a Battenberg) is very tempting.  And so this intrepid pair set off to the ends of the earth.  I have put an image of this cake below (BBC Food) because if you have dipped into my blog you will know, just like Harold, I also love cake.

Here is a very funny little video where you will see Pigsticks and Harold themselves promoting their book.

If you enjoy Pigsticks and Harold and the incredible journey you should also look for The Trip to Panama by Janosh and The Clumsies by Sorrel Anderson.  Here is a web site from the author which begins with his visit to Tales on Moon Lane.  I visited this special children's bookshop in London recently so I was excited to see Alex Milway had prepared a special window display.  If I have not yet convinced you to read this warm-hearted little story please take a minute and read this review in The School Library Journal.  This book would make a great read-a-loud for a younger class.  I wonder if Alex Milway has plans for more books in this series.

A place to call home by Alexis Deacon illustrated by Viviane Schwarz

This book is all about your point of view.  Depending on your location, your size and your experience you will see the world in a certain way.

If you are talking with children about visual literacy this is a perfect book.  The reader peeps through a large hole on the cover looking at seven hamster like creatures who have been living in a small dark hole. All is going well until the day arrives when the hole becomes too small and so the family have to set off to find a new home.

Using speech bubbles we follow their journey across a treacherous landscape which is actually a junk yard complete with large guard dog.  Of course this is not the view seen by our tiny friends.  To them a large puddle seems as wide as the sea, an old set of drawers are a mountain and a patch of sand must be the desert.

The final page where they discover an even bigger world is simply spectacular.  Here is a review.  Here is the web site for the illustrator.  Look for her other books in our school library they are very special.

This book is a joyous romp from front to back.  Go into your library and grab it today.

Fast-paced with wit and heart, this ridiculous rodent road-trip will appeal to future comic-book lovers—and anyone part of a tight band of brothers (or sisters). 

School according to Humphrey by Betty G Birney

I am very lucky there is a small primary school across the road from my home and they have a terrific and very attractive library so I called in to see if they had any books from the series by Betty G Birney about my new friend Humphrey.

Even though School According to Humphrey is the eighth book the order really does not matter (although I would start this series with the first book which I blogged about last week).

A new school year is just beginning.  It is America so it is September and the Fall.  Humphrey and his new friend Og the frog are waiting in room 26 for the arrival of their old friends. What Humphrey does not realise is that a new school year means a new class!

“Mrs Brisbane opened the classroom door and soon students started to come in.  I realised straight away that something was wrong. … ‘You’re in the wrong room!’ I squeaked. ‘This is not your room, go back!’ … Why didn’t’ she notice her class was full of the wrong students?”

Eventually things settle down and Humphrey realises these new kids will be the students in Room 26 but then he begins to worry about his old friends.  Aldo the night janitor tells Humphrey that his nephew Ritchie is missing Humphrey and that he wants a class pet in his new room.  The ever anxious Humphrey imagines the worst. Will he have to leave Room 26?  What will happen to Og? What if the new teacher does not like him?  At night Humphrey opens the lock that does not lock and he goes exploring the school.  He needs to find the classroom where his old friends have gone.

There are some wonderful laugh out loud moments in this installment.  One is when Humphrey discovers the work this year is really easy.  “While the strange students seemed quite bright, I was surprised to find out that I knew quite a lot more than they did about these subjects.  At first this was confusing to me, until I realised that I’d studied the exact same information last year.  I felt unsqueakably smart!”

I am looking forward to reading more books in this series. We only have one title in our school library as I write this – Friendship according to Humphrey but early next year I will purchase the full series. In America School according to Humphrey has a different title - another publishing mystery?  Finally I should mention each chapter ends with a delicious little piece of advice. 

The world according to Humphrey by Betty G Birney

How do you find a good book?  Sometimes this happens in a surprising way. On my recent trip I was chatting with a grandparent about great stories for her little granddaughter – I had mentioned I was a Teacher-Librarian.  I often have conversations like this.  I did not know someone else was listening but later, as I walked along with my group, Joyce asked me about my job.  Anyway to “cut a long story short”,  Joyce is a reading teacher in a US school.  We instantly had so much in common and then she told me about a wonderful project she co-ordinates in her elementary school.  Every class in the school reads the same book over three weeks.  Teachers work through a schedule and at the end of each week there are questions and puzzles to solve all culminating in a huge assembly.  The first book they used for this project was Mr Poppers Penguins (Joyce was keen to have all children experience the book prior to the release of the movie) and last year they used The World according to Humphrey.

So that is how I discovered Humphrey!  When I reached the next bookshop I grabbed a copy and dived in. I will say that while I read heaps of books over the last three months The World according to Humphrey was one of the best! I read the whole book in just one afternoon but I did not want it to end. (I have now discovered there are several sequels so I will seek those out over the next few weeks.  I am so happy that I can be reunited with Humphrey.  He is an irresistible character.).

Humphrey is bought as a class pet by Mrs Mac.  He comes to live in Room 26.  As Humphrey says you can learn a lot about life by observing another species.  Humphrey cannot talk directly to the teacher or children or their parents, whom he visits on weekends, but he can understand what the humans are saying.  Humphrey is kind and very, very wise.  He has a huge impact on the lives of everyone he meets but Humphrey does have one huge problem.  The wonderful Mrs Mac leaves the class early into the term and the new teacher Mrs Brisbane is not happy about Humphrey.  “Is that some kind of rodent?  … I can’t stand rodents! Take it back! … The it she was talking about was me … Mister, you’ve got to go!”

Each chapter ends with a care tip and my copy of this book has a full list of these at the back along with an interview with the author and some puzzles and questions.  The children in the class are given great names by Humphrey – “Wait for the bell Garth”, “Raise your hand Heidi”, “Lower your voice AJ” and “Pay attention Art” to name a few.  As Humphrey himself would say this book made me smile, smile, smile.  It is the perfect book for children from Grade one to Grade four.

Here are two sets of teaching notes.  Finally if you enjoy this book (and I am certain you will!) then look for another story about a class pet like Humphrey - Shredder by Jonathan Kebbe.