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Undead Pets #1
Return of the Hungry Hamster #1
Dumpling the hamster came to a dusty end inside a vacuum cleaner. He suspects that his owner Oliver's parents never admitted to their son that they were to blame for Dumpling's demise. Now the hamster needs Joe's help to reveal the truth - but there's a furry surprise awaiting them at Oliver's house...
112 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 4, 2023
Very nice👍🏻
February 7, 2017
Cute story about a boy who is given an Egyptian Amulet of Anubis by his uncle which makes him the protector of undead pets. In this book an undead hamster comes to him looking for help at fixing unresolved issues from before his death so he can pass fully over to the other side. This book is light hearted and fun though a little slow in spots. The story is great and could be a really engaging idea but doesn't move along as smoothly as I would have liked. There are places where the excitement kind of just splutters out. Hopefully this is something that can be remedied in the books to come as the premise is excellent for children and young adolescents.
December 10, 2021
Very silly book that engaged my reading-skeptical son. Undead pets? My son was sold. It’s about 100 pages, but is a mix of traditional text and comic book style. We finished it in about an hour. My son wouldn’t let me stop reading.
April 30, 2023
I bought the entire box set of these stories for my house since I have two kids, and I also was curious to read these. It was such a cute story, I really liked it and I’m hopeful for the others in the series!
March 5, 2018
Zombie pets! I think this will work for lots of kids, but as an adult reader Dumpling was SO ANNOYING.
January 22, 2024
Small child loved it when the undead hamster kept having tantrums and wouldn't leave until Joe helped him
December 2, 2012
You can probably tell that this book is aimed at a much younger audience than me but as an adult I did enjoy it as a short, guilty pleasure read.
Return of the hungry hamster was a fun read, and is actually a story unlike anything I've come across before.
It was written well, with humour I think the age group it's aimed at will find hilarious and the black and grey pictures throughout make it a perfect transition book, from picture books in to books for younger readers.
It's also not too long so it will hold an eight year olds attention and has a great, if sometimes unwilling, clever boy hero.
I'll definitely be saving this one for when my son is old enough and collecting the rest of the series.
Favourite quote
'"Now wait a minute," said Joe, suddenly feeling a bit cross. Wishing for a pet was one thing, but helping zombie hamsters with their "unresolved issues" was another matter altogether!'
Return of the hungry hamster was a fun read, and is actually a story unlike anything I've come across before.
It was written well, with humour I think the age group it's aimed at will find hilarious and the black and grey pictures throughout make it a perfect transition book, from picture books in to books for younger readers.
It's also not too long so it will hold an eight year olds attention and has a great, if sometimes unwilling, clever boy hero.
I'll definitely be saving this one for when my son is old enough and collecting the rest of the series.
Favourite quote
'"Now wait a minute," said Joe, suddenly feeling a bit cross. Wishing for a pet was one thing, but helping zombie hamsters with their "unresolved issues" was another matter altogether!'
December 3, 2014
Read this in Swedish, it's zombie animals for kids. It looks more exciting than it is, but I think kids will think it's fun. It reminded me of the old Bunnicula books where the bunny vampire sucks on vegetables. More cute than scary. The story is about a boy who gets a special amulet from his uncle and wishes for a pet, but he gets a zombie hamster. The hamster is annoying and talks and no one else can see him, so really he's more of a ghost hamster. I thought that was a little boring. So, it's a ghost story about a hamster needing help getting closure over his death, and he happens to sneeze and eat a lot.
March 25, 2015
This was a really funny book that I started reading as a goodnight story for my stepson and ended up reading it for myself.
I or my hubby will finished the book to my stepson so they both get to know what is going to happen.
I or my hubby will finished the book to my stepson so they both get to know what is going to happen.
June 28, 2016
This book is awesome
June 25, 2024
I'm going to love any chapter book that gets my kiddo excited about reading and this one does it! My 6 year is is OBSESSED. To the point that it's the first thing he wants to do when he wakes up, that's highly unusual. My hope is that he continues to love this series so much that he can no longer wait on me and just start reading it on his own. A mother can dream!
August 27, 2024
This was such a quick fast read about a hamster and a boy. I liked how the hamster get having tantrums and causing havoc as it was so funny to read. I liked how the story was told and I really liked how the truth was told at the end. I will be honest this book did drag even though is like 106 pages look. Let’s hope the other books are better. Xxx
September 4, 2025
This obviously is a book intended for pretty young audiences, I read it in year 4, again today for nostalgia. The negative reviews are a bit ridiculous, of course the book lacks sustenance, it’s for 6 year olds.
July 4, 2017
Berättelsen passar för yngre barn, men boken är rätt lång.
September 28, 2018
(Beginning Reader)
I really liked the show ghost whisper and I loved that this is basically like ghost whisperer with pets. It was a cute story with great illustrations.
I really liked the show ghost whisper and I loved that this is basically like ghost whisperer with pets. It was a cute story with great illustrations.
October 4, 2018
Great beginning reader. Basically like the show Ghost Whisperer but with children & pets.
January 25, 2020
Highly recommended by both Jack and Leo!!! (I didn't think it was all that bad, honestly.)
June 27, 2020
It was funny
February 3, 2021
A fun little read about a zombie hamster who needs help with his unfinished business.
June 1, 2021
Great book for kiddos in elementary school. 3rd - 4th grade.
December 9, 2021
Super cute
January 8, 2022
I am torn between being angry that someone wrote these books so I have to read them to my 5YO, and appreciating that my 5YO likes this being read to him.
October 28, 2022
Reading this series to my boys at bedtime. Loving it!!
October 18, 2023
This is a story about a boy who gets an Egyptian artifact. He thinks it's cool, but finds out after he's activates the artifact that he must help a dead hamster to find peace and move on.
June 5, 2024
Well-written, funny, and about an undead hamster named Dumpling. I found it fun So I know kids will too! Great for reluctant readers.
October 25, 2024
Dumpling the hamster was a bit annoying but I enjoyed the book anyway. It was cute
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Read
January 5, 2025read this in fourth grade and it traumatized me
October 4, 2025
Lincoln aged 8 - 4.5
January 9, 2013
To me the story here was a bit bland. I was reading it with my 6-year-old daughter. The plot plods along and the book doesn't end properly as it sets up for the next adventure in the series.
The plot - schoolboy Joe gets a present from his uncle Charlie who is an explorer. The present is the Amulet of Anubis which allows the user one wish. So far this is ok with a little bit of magic in the mix. Joe uses it to wish for a pet but gets an undead hamster instead. The hamster and Joe spend the next umpteen pages arguing with each other. Dumpling, the hamster, is undead because something on Earth is holding him back, but Joe refuses to help, hence the arguments. Or was this part just for padding out the novel?
Anyway the thing that was holding Dumpling back was that he belonged to a boy called Oliver but escaped from his cage and got vacuumed up by Oliver's mum, and she replaced him without telling Oliver. Somehow, despite the two hamsters being different colours, different sizes, looking different and behaving completely differently Oliver doesn't realise that the hamster is not Dumpling. Anyway Joe sorts it out.
The plot was straightforward. All the hamster did was eat and eat whilst all the schoolboys were indistinguishable from each other. The actual vacuuming moment was pretty neat because the story changed from novel style into comic style for two pages. And there were plenty of other pictures throughout, all in black and white though, which were my daughter's favourite parts. She liked the picture of the Jackal-shaped amulet that kept popping up through the book to split the text, plus the chapter headings that always featured Dumpling in them. The best picture is of course on the cover of the undead hamster himself, in a graveyard - the graveyard being irrelevant to the plot but making for a good cover to help sell this book.
I know this book is aimed at younger readers but that doesn't mean the plot can't be more exciting.
The plot - schoolboy Joe gets a present from his uncle Charlie who is an explorer. The present is the Amulet of Anubis which allows the user one wish. So far this is ok with a little bit of magic in the mix. Joe uses it to wish for a pet but gets an undead hamster instead. The hamster and Joe spend the next umpteen pages arguing with each other. Dumpling, the hamster, is undead because something on Earth is holding him back, but Joe refuses to help, hence the arguments. Or was this part just for padding out the novel?
Anyway the thing that was holding Dumpling back was that he belonged to a boy called Oliver but escaped from his cage and got vacuumed up by Oliver's mum, and she replaced him without telling Oliver. Somehow, despite the two hamsters being different colours, different sizes, looking different and behaving completely differently Oliver doesn't realise that the hamster is not Dumpling. Anyway Joe sorts it out.
The plot was straightforward. All the hamster did was eat and eat whilst all the schoolboys were indistinguishable from each other. The actual vacuuming moment was pretty neat because the story changed from novel style into comic style for two pages. And there were plenty of other pictures throughout, all in black and white though, which were my daughter's favourite parts. She liked the picture of the Jackal-shaped amulet that kept popping up through the book to split the text, plus the chapter headings that always featured Dumpling in them. The best picture is of course on the cover of the undead hamster himself, in a graveyard - the graveyard being irrelevant to the plot but making for a good cover to help sell this book.
I know this book is aimed at younger readers but that doesn't mean the plot can't be more exciting.
September 14, 2014
When Joe's Uncle Charlie gives him an Egyptian amulet, it comes with a warning to be careful how he uses the gift. Joe doesn't listen, and his wish for a pet brings him an undead hamster intent on easing the suffering of his owner. As Joe reluctantly agrees to help Dumpling, he stumbles on the truth behind the hamster's demise and its aftermath. There is quite a bit of humor in the book, and Joe is drawn into Dumpling's plight despite his initial reluctance. The first title in a series planned around undead pets, this one should be popular with the late elementary grade crowd. I disliked Joe at the start, but he grew on me over the course of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews