Hamsters (Usborne First Pets)
Usborne First Pets Series
illustrations by
on Goodreads (11)
What’s inside...
The book 'Hamsters (Usborne First Pets)' by Susan Meredith is a comprehensive guide for young readers who are interested in keeping hamsters as pets. It covers essential topics such as choosing the right type of hamster, setting up a comfortable habitat, understanding hamster behavior, and providing proper care, including feeding, grooming, and health maintenance. The book is designed to educate children on the responsibilities of pet ownership and to ensure that they have the knowledge needed to keep their hamster happy and healthy. With engaging illustrations and easy-to-understand language, it serves as an excellent resource for first-time hamster owners.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
5-7
Length
30 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think are the most important things we need to do to take care of a hamster?
How do you think the hamster feels when it's sleeping during the day and awake at night?
If you were a hamster, what part of your cage would you like the most and why?
Why do you think hamsters need to chew on things?
What are some ways we can make sure a hamster feels safe and happy in its home?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their thoughts and feelings about the responsibilities of pet ownership.
Discuss the nocturnal habits of hamsters and relate it to other nocturnal animals, enhancing their understanding of different animal behaviors.
Invite your child to imagine the world from a hamster's perspective, fostering empathy and creative thinking.
Explain the importance of a hamster’s need to chew for maintaining their teeth health, tying it back to human needs like brushing teeth.
Prompt your child to think critically about pet care by asking how they would design a hamster’s ideal home environment.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Responsibility
Explanation: The book details how to care for hamsters, emphasizing the need for feeding, cleaning, and nurturing the pet.
Real-World Application: Children learn the importance of daily duties and the responsibility of caring for another living being, which can translate to better self-management and accountability in their personal lives.
Example Lesson: Empathy
Explanation: Through understanding a hamster's needs and feelings, kids are guided to consider how their actions affect their pet.
Real-World Application: This fosters empathy and compassion, skills that are essential in building healthy interpersonal relationships and understanding diversity in feelings among people.
Example Lesson: Observation Skills
Explanation: The book encourages children to notice signs of happiness or stress in their hamster’s behavior, which are crucial in ensuring the pet’s well-being.
Real-World Application: This can help children develop keen observational skills and awareness of non-verbal cues, useful in social interactions and understanding the environment around them.