A batch of little hamsters live in a tiny dark hole. Very soon they become too big for the hole, so they need to leave.
But outside is cold, dark and relatively hole-less. How will they find a new hole to nestle in?
Emerging from the nestling depths of an old couch into a cold yard, the band of brothers begin a journey into the unknown. Along the way they find cups and paper towel rolls and old boots and gloves to wear on their heads as they voyage across the sea (a puddle), over a mountain (a desk), through a desert (a pile of sand) and up through an old washing machine to the pinnacle of the world.
But uh-oh. A sleeping dog soon becomes their mortal enemy. Snatching one of their brothers, the team of hamsters realise that if they can cross oceans and deserts and climb mountains, they can surely beat the beast who stole one of their own.
Can this adorable group find the chutzpah to conquer the beast AND continue on their quest for a place to call their own? Let's just say the final page will charm your socks off and make you take the biggest breath you've probably taken in a very long time.
Clever, adorable and really very funny, this is a book kids will laugh aloud at - and take great pride in understanding the subtle message imbued in its pages - the importance of family, courage and home.
Title: A Place to Call Home
Author: Alexis Deacon
Illustrator: Viviane Schwarz
Publisher: Walker Books, $29.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 May 2011
ISBN: 9781406323023
Format: Hard cover
For ages: 2 -10
Type: Picture Book