Product Description

Kipper wants to choose a pet for Pig's birthday present. The rabbit is too sleepy, the guinea pigs are too timid, the mouse is too shy, and the stick insect is boring. But the hamster? The hamster is perfect. He can even do roly-polies!
But will Kipper actually be able to give Roly away?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #952932 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
Pig is very single-minded in his birthday desires. His gift wish list includes a rabbit, a guinea pig, a mouse, a gerbil, "or something." Ever obliging, Pig's canine friend Kipper rushes off to the pet shop where he finds just the "something": a sweet little hamster. But in the process of preparing for the party, Kipper falls in love with the roly-poly rodent, and doesn't know how he's going to give him up. Fortunately, his friend Pig is a very generous fellow. He's also--suddenly, and by his own ill-considered design--the caretaker of a veritable menagerie!

Mick Inkpen is the man behind the well-loved critters featured on Nick Jr. TV shows and many popular picture books, including Where, Oh Where, Is Kipper's Bear, Kipper's A to Z, and Kipper's Birthday. Warning: Roly is absolutely adorable; young readers may soon be making a few wish lists of their own! (Ages 4 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
The irresistible pooch featured on Nick Jr. returns for Kipper and Roly by Mick Inkpen. Kipper buys Pig a hamster he names Roly for Pig's birthday, but finds it difficult to give up Roly. That's where Pig's generosity comes in.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reS-Gr 1-Pig is having a birthday party and the only thing on his wish list is a pet, so Kipper rushes to the pet store and buys his friend a hamster. At home, the pup has great fun feeding and playing with it. He names it and begins to think he would like to keep the little guy. He gets caught up in building Roly a wild hamster ride and misses the party. When he gets to Pig's house, it turns out that the birthday boy has already gotten three new pets as presents and asks Kipper if he will take care of Roly for him. Watercolor cartoons complement this light and amusing story. The funniest illustrations are a series of nine small pictures that depict the steps of Roly's wild ride through all of Kipper's gadgets. Children should enjoy this simple tale.

Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A charming delight.
If you are at all familiar with Kipper and his adventures, you will adore this book. My husband and I shared this book with our 2 and 1/2 year old, and it is one of her all time favorites.
Mr. Inkpen's soft, charming illustrations along with his witty and sweet style of story telling make this book so appealing, that you will be happy to read it "over and over" again to your child. Pick it up and fall in love.

Here's the outline: Kipper's friend Pig sends out a wish list for his birthday party, so Kipper visits a pet store to buy him the perfect gift. After carefully considering the many creatures in the shop, ("The stick insect... too much like a stick.") he finds a hamster and brings it home to give to Pig the next day. He names the hamster Roly, after dicovering the "tricks" he can do. Kipper adores Roly and wishes he didn't have to give him up the next day as a present to Pig. After he arrives at Pig's house, he discovers that Pig has received many pets as presents, so many in fact, that Pig, asks Kipper if he wouldn't mind "keeping Roly for him" - much to Kipper's delight.

Nice Book
My son loves this book. He likes to spend a lot of time on the page where Roly does his 'super-trick' and practices going through tubes and jumping using his toys. Its nicely drawn and just the right length for a bed-time story.

Another delightful Kipper book.
We borrowed this one from the library. My 3 year old loved it! One of his favourite parts is where Kipper builds an adventure contraption for Roly to climb on/slide down/etc. We had fun following each sequential picture to find out what Roly was going to go on next. Definitely a fun book.