Children's booksChildren's books This article is more than 8 years old

Imagination According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney - review

This article is more than 8 years old'It's a good fun book that will get your imagination working!'

Betty G. Birney, Imagination According to Humphrey (Humphrey 11)

Imagination According To Humphrey is a good book for 7-8 year olds.
Based in a class room, Humphrey the Hamster tells the story. Humphrey is the classroom pet and lives in a cage in room 26 next to a tank with his friend Og (the frog) in. Although Humphrey tells the story and it's done from his eyes, he can't talk to the children; he does talk to them but all they hear is "squeak squeak".

Humphrey also has a friend in room 12, her name is GiGi and she is a guinea pig. Humphrey opens his unlockable cage (nobody knows it doesn't lock) most nights to go and visit GiGi. Gigi is new to the school and is nervous about going home with the pupils but Humphrey tells her how much fun it is!

It's funny because a girl said she had a dragon but it was a bearded dragon. The children all had nicknames for each other like "Calm down Cassie", "Rolling Rosie" and "Do it now Daniel".

Throughout the story the children are learning how to write a story about flying and Humphrey has his own notebook and pencil in which he writes his own story once the children have gone home; he struggles with this to start with but from using the tips from the teacher he masters it by the end.

Every weekend Humphrey goes home with one of the pupils and helps them with their own problems at home.

My favourite part was when Humphrey went home for the weekend with Sophie, she had a doll's house and let Humphrey explore it… He had great fun lying in the bath and the bed and looking around the kitchen.

This book can help you with your school work too, as it is based around writing stories and has tips for writing.

It's a good fun book that will get your imagination working!

Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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