Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Feisty class hamster GW completes his Hairy Houdini Escape-O-Matic invention and races to release bunny Barry and guinea pig Biter--but his friends aren't eager to abandon their comfy lives as class pets. Jailbreaks, a food fight, and other hijinks ensue in this laugh-out-loud graphic novel. Pen-and-ink panels in a bright palette have a tidy feel, in neat contrast to the mischief and mayhem. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Classroom pets have a wild night in the halls of Daisy P. Flugelhorn Elementary. George "GW" Washington the hamster has languished in the prison that is second grade for over three months, and he finally has everything he needs to break out. After the students are gone, he escapes and frees his old buddy Barry the bunny, held in first gradebut then they must brave the worst cellblock, kindergarten, to free their old pal Biter the guinea pig. However, Biter has gone through a slight transformation thanks to exposure to daily happy singing and a shared learning community; she does yoga and calls herself Sunflower now. Just as they are strategizing their escape from the building, Harriet, one of the fourth-grade white mice, informs them that upper-grade pets rule the school. With the muscle (and questionable appetites) of Lucinda the fifth-grade snake, Harriet captures the trio and relocks them up. Can they escape and save the children from Harriet's evil scheme? Graphic novelist Jamieson aims for a younger crowd than Roller Girl's (2015) with this slightly sarcastic and totally loony tale of friendship and the quest for freedomwhich turns out to not be what GW thought it would be. Refreshingly, she doesn't rely on such tired graphic tropes as extra-long eyelashes to set her female characters apart. Guaranteed fun for young readers, who will eye their classroom pets with some suspicion in the future. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.