Hot Rod Hamster Meets His Match!

There's a new Hot Rod Hamster early reader from the dynamic duo of Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord and New York Times bestselling illustrator Derek Anderson, and it's sure to make a splash!
When Hamster and his friends go looking for some cool, wet, wild fun at the Water Kingdom waterpark, Hamster and his new friend, Holly, challenge two dogs to a race down the waterslide. Can they win?With the same bouncing rhythms, fun choice rhymes, and daredevil antics that made the picture books so popular, this original Level 2 reader will be a sturdy stepping-stone for both Hot Rod Hamster fans and series newcomers moving on to independent reading. The years Ms. Lord spent as a first-grade teacher have given her the perfect sense for what language and storylines work best for emerging readers. Little boys and girls will race to collect this latest story from their favorite furry friend.Speed down the early-reading water slide and join Hot Rod Hamster and his buddies for loads of fun in the sun! Praise for Hot Rod Hamster:A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award Recommended TitleA Children's Choice Book Award FinalistA Buckeye Children's Book Award Nominee (Ohio)A Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee "Junior racing fans will get a vicarious thrill with this story of a tiny driver who dares to burn rubber with the big boys... Anderson's acrylics are boisterously large, colorful, and off-kilter -- just like his swaggering protagonist." -- Booklist"Newbery Honor author Lord's picture-book debut is a rollicking, roaring read... Anderson's fluffy, jaunty illustrations are as full of energy as the rhymes. Young car enthusiasts won't be the only ones enamored of this hot-rodding rodent and his big canine buddy." -- Kirkus Reviews Derek Anderson is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Little Quack series by Lauren Thompson as well as the Hot Rod Hamster series by Cynthia Lord. He is also the author and illustrator of Ten Pigs: An Epic Bath Adventure and Story County: Here We Come! He writes and paints in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Visit him online at www.derekanderson.net.

Cynthia Lord is the award-winning author of Rules, a Newbery Honor Book and a Schneider Family Book Award winner, as well as the critically acclaimed Half a Chance, A Handful of Stars, and Because of the Rabbit. She made her picture-book debut with Hot Rod Hamster, which won several awards, including the Parents' Choice Award, and is the author of the Shelter Pet Squad chapter book series. She lives in Maine with her family. Visit her at cynthialord.com. Praise for Hot Rod Hamster:A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award Recommended TitleA Children's Choice Book Award FinalistA Buckeye Children's Book Award Nominee (Ohio)A Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee "Junior racing fans will get a vicarious thrill with this story of a tiny driver who dares to burn rubber with the big boys... Anderson's acrylics are boisterously large, colorful, and off-kilter -- just like his swaggering protagonist." -- Booklist"Newbery Honor author Lord's picture-book debut is a rollicking, roaring read... Anderson's fluffy, jaunty illustrations are as full of energy as the rhymes. Young car enthusiasts won't be the only ones enamored of this hot-rodding rodent and his big canine buddy." -- Kirkus Reviews Praise for Hot Rod Hamster:A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the YearA Parents' Choice Award Recommended TitleA Children's Choice Book Award FinalistA Buckeye Children's Book Award Nominee (Ohio)A Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee "Junior racing fans will get a vicarious thrill with this story of a tiny driver who dares to burn rubber with the big boys... Anderson's acrylics are boisterously large, colorful, and off-kilter -- just like his swaggering protagonist." -- Booklist"Newbery Honor author Lord's picture-book deb