Andrew Norman Wilson is an English writer and newspaper columnist, known for his critical biographies, novels, works of popular history and religious views. He is an occasional columnist for the Daily Mail and former columnist for the London Evening Standard, and has been an occasional contributor to the Times Literary Supplement, New Statesman, The Spectator and The Observer.
Think of Hazel the Guinea Pig as Olga da Polga Lite.
Hazel shares many similarities with Michael Bond's Olga da Polga (she lives in England; she lives with a slightly baffled family) but Hazel lacks not only the spiffy rosettes of an Abyssinian but Olga's penchant for telling tall tales.
Still, this is a charming little tale of a guinea pig and her family -- both human and guinea pig. This is was one of those books I read that made me want to move to England. It certainly seemed a lot nicer place for guinea pigs and DAMMIT that was where I wanted to be.
England didn't turn out that way but that's not the point. The point is that there are very few books about guinea pigs to help you with your guinea pig fix (and who doesn't suffer from THAT?) and this kids' book is better than most.
This story is about an England of not-so-olden times, when little kids were allowed to buy pets from pet shops without parental approval. Don't try to do that today, kids. Man -- you'll be disappointed.
This is a more realistic story about a guinea pig than the Olga da Polga series -- which is both good and bad. Good: It gives a better picture of what life with a guinea pig is like. Bad: guinea pigs don't do much. Food, sex and having a safe place to sleep is pretty much it. So don't expect car chases and shootouts at the OK corral and such.
A cute little book, though Hazel mostly did annoy me, with how she talked, how she acted. And yes, I know she is a guinea pig, but considering Tobacco was talking/acting normally.... The kids really need to learn how to handle guinea pigs.