Cinnamon's Day Out: A Gerbil Adventure

by Susan L. Roth

A charming gerbil's-eye view of the world outside its cage.

From the author-artist of My Love for You comes a delightful new book illustrated in her trademark bright collages and starring one of the most popular pets for children today. When a busy gerbil called Cinnamon chews its way up to the sky one morning, it begins an exciting adventure in the great world outside its cage. Setting off to explore, Cinnamon descends a mountain...finds a city...meets a fierce wolf...even takes a ride on a train!

In colorful mixed-media collages, award-winning artist Susan L. Roth has captured a gerbil's-eye view of its owner's household, where a rug becomes a meadow and a cat is a hungry tiger.

Young children will delight in correctly identifying the scenes that make up Cinnamon's giant-sized adventure -- and they're sure to agree that at day's end, there's no place like home.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Adventure, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Susan L. Roth creates unique mixed-media collage illustrations that have appeared in numerous award-winning children’s books, many of which she also wrote. Her book, Listen to the Wind, spent a year on the New York Times best seller list. The Mangrove Tree, which was released in 2011 and addressed Dr. Gordon Sato's mangrove tree-planting project, was the winner of Jane Addams Children's Book Award. Roth lives in New York.

Reviews

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mix together these three kid pleasers. Will they make for a great picture book?

* Gerbils, a popular kind of pet.
* Colorful mixed-media collages, a specialty of the author.
* And a spirit of wild adventure.

When a gerbil called Cinnamon chews its way out of its cage and begins an exciting adventure in the great world beyond, will you consider its story a thrill? Maybe yes, maybe no.

Since this is really an art-centered book, it will appeal to readers who like to look at clever pictures, designed simply, and including plenty of bright, primary colors.

RATING THIS BOOK

My policy is to review books in terms of the intended readers. These folks love pictures. And prefer as few words as possible. It's an artsy book about the precious-precious adventures of a spunky little gerbil.

FIVE STARS, on behalf of those readers. (Readers who couldn't be more different from this Goodreads reviewer.)

[Krease Gansen]

Where were you cinnamon? He was chewing, chewing, and chewing until he was on top of the mountain. He went to the city. He found a meadow. He got on the train to escape a wolf. He rode the train far away to a path to a pond. He drank with a tiger and hid in a barn. He ate and ate and found a giant. Then he flew over all he had seen and returned home.

[Kelly Wickham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures are made from paper scraps and real life props which made them interesting and different from other books. This is about a gerbil that goes on an adventure as the title points out. A nice book to read with the littles.

[Jecel Cortes · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. The pictures were in good detail.

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

We listened to this book at the library the day the children decorated gingerbread cookies.

Relevance? Cinnamon, I guess.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This truly is delightful. My 3yo has asked for this 3 days in a row, and definitely enjoys Cinnamon's view of the world. The collage pictures are incredibly lifelike - anyone who's had gerbils will recognize it - and it even gives a little lesson about friends/family going away and then coming back.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids liked the story and they looked through it many times. It has simple text so a beginning reader might be able to read it.

I probably won't use this again, but if I found it at the library I would check it out for the youngest.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations - the collages have some great textures and the gerbils really look fuzzy and cuddly. The text is simple enough for young readers, but not boring.