Guinea Pig Oliver Twist

by Alex Goodwin, Tess Newall

Fur and fiction combine in this retelling of Charles Dickens's most famous novel, adorably adapted with an all-star cast of guinea pigs. In the misery of a workhouse, a poor, fluffy little orphan called Oliver Twist is fed on nothing but thin air and even thinner gruel. By squeaking a fateful question - 'Please, sir, I want some more' - he unwittingly sparks a series of events that lead him to the smoke and grime of the big city, where he encounters a host of four-legged friends and foes such as the crafty Fagin, mischievous Artful Dodger, faithful Nancy and treacherous Bill Sikes, who sweep young Oliver off of his paws and into the underworld of Victorian London.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Historical, Historical Fiction

64 pages, Hardcover

Published September 22, 2016

Reviews

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from Bloomsbury Australia for review.

Ten Second Synopsis:
It's Oliver Twist with guinea pigs. What's not to like?

If you can't find something to like in a book replete with cloth-capped and lace-bonneted rodents acting out scenes from one of the most-loved pieces of literature in the English-speaking world, then I truly weep for your loss. Really, who can't go past a bit of guinea-pig related silliness? Not I, that's for sure. As the first few pages and A5 format suggest, this is an abridged retelling of Dicken's classic, Oliver Twist, featuring guinea pigs photographed in front of teeny replicas of Victorian streets.

The book begins with a very handy image of the cast of characters, helpful if you want to keep your Fagins and your Dodgers straight, and I couldn't help but have a giggle at the appropriately surly and common-looking guinea pig that had been selected to play the scoundrel Bill Sikes. I am quite surprised, in fact, by the lengths that the authors have gone to in selecting guinea pigs that embody the natures of the characters that they are representing. Mr Bumble is chubby and just a bit unkempt, as one would expect, while Mr Brownlow (played ably by one "Molly") has a regal sort of bearing. The guinea pig version of Fagin even has black markings across his face, making him (her, actually) look appropriately sly and conniving. The story is divided into sections, relaying Oliver's travels to, and outside of, London, and there are no more than two paragraphs of text on any page, making it easy to get through quickly.

I will admit that I much preferred the end of the musical, in which Fagin and the Artful Dodger skip off into the sunset, singing jauntily, to the end that Fagin meets here, but I suspect it might be tricky to photograph guinea pigs in full dance mode, given that guinea pigs are not known for their high-kicking abilities. If you are a fan of guinea pigs, or indeed Oliver Twist, this will be a quirky and cute addition to your collection.

[Donnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good. My fave character was guinea pig oliver twist. Very quick read, though, I almost finished it in one sitting.

[Alice Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello cuteness!!!! These books are super cute, original, artistic, and they raise awareness to the fate of guinea pigs who are abandoned at shelters every day!

[Paris Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

While doing a book tour on an Instagram live I pulled this book out and my viewers found it hilarious. I read it out loud to them and man was it a roller coaster from start to finish.

Pure chaos and we loved every second of it. The pictures were cute and funny and the story was well-written. It is definitely a book that will not be leaving my shelf anytime soon.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the cutest little book! All the images are adorable and their little costumes are so cute. The story is obviously very simplified but you get the basic idea of the plot.
Would definitely recommend this quick little read even if it's just for the pictures.

[Poppy-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oreo was perfect for the main role. I shed a tear over his final page

[Jemima Pett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the Guinea Pig Nativity, looked at the costumes and saw that they were mainly draped over the animals. Then there was Pride & Prejudice. These were costumes, bonnets and dresses. This is appalling mistreatment of animals and fosters entirely the wrong attitude of children towards their animals.

GUINEA PIGS ARE NOT TOYS FOR DRESSING UP

Please ban this book.

And the Pride & Prejudice (and you'd better ban the Nativity one too, since it started the downhill slide.)

[Aby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so cute, can't go wrong with guinea pigs!

[Catherine Puma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup, this book is pretty much exactly how it looks and sounds like. Which is adorable! This is a great gift, especially as a stocking stuffer or Secret Santa present, due to its light-hearted nature and small size.

Alex Goodwin and Tess Gammell have adapted Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" novel into a short picture book. A cast of guinea pigs wear little outfits for each key Dickens character, including Fagin, Dodger, Mr. Brownlow, Nancy, and Monks. Each page includes a paragraph or two summarizing a key plot point, often with a quote of dialogue from the source material. Opposite each page is a photograph of a guinea pig or two in its outfit and a little diorama-like scene that corresponds with the accompanying plot point.

This is obviously not a substitute for reading the original novel, but it a great little heart warming adaptation that I think every fan of Charles Dickens would enjoy. This seems to be a series of adaptations, so if you like the guinea pigs but not "Oliver Twist", there may be other options available for you. I may check the "Pride & Prejudice" are out next!

Overall, this is cute and fun and I am really glad I read it. I definitely recommend!

[Candy C · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a primary school student, I read and generally liked an adapted version of Oliver Twist. This adaptation showed me how little I remembered of the plot.

Readers have Tess Newall and Alex Goodwin to thank again! I felt like I paid little attention to the guinea pigs this time, though.

Last but not least, I wonder who ‘the mysterious Belmondo’ is.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dickens doesn't condense well. Plot is never his strong point, and to tell the plot of Oliver Twist is to leave out all the wonderful characterisation. And to be frank, Oliver Twist is not Dickens' best novel anyway.

[Emma D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun, quick read.

[Heydi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this amazingly creative work of art.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to write this book an intelligent review, but I can't get past the loud SQUEEEEE reverberating in my brain. Total cuteness overload.

[Natasha Gammon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! The best way to learn a classic story 😊

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and easy read with adorable guinea pigs as the classic characters.

[Georgina Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such fun :)

[The Kennel Cuddle Book Club with…. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always a fun book

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable.

[Judy Egnew Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute and fun for children, guinea pig lovers, and/or Dickens fans

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

not disappointed

[Amy Welham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my introduction to Oliver Twist I knew the vague story/ main characters but I have never read the book (although I own it) and have never watched any of the adaptations. I am definitely going to read the book and watch the musical to get the full story but this is such a sweet overview of the story. A great gift for guinea pig lovers and literature fans.

[Immy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super cute adaptation of the original! I would definitely recommend this to animal lovers and Dickens fans alike. One thing I particularly liked about this little book is the use of quotations from the original as well as the quality of the pictures. It's Oliver Twist with guinea pigs there's not much else to say! ❤️

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, this is the best way to read the classics - in guinea pig form (or.. something like that). Absolutely adorable. My biggest concern/confusion - why do all the coats have sleeves? They don't even get close to the guinea pigs' legs.. Why even bother to have sleeves?

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet precis of Dickens' Oliver Twist with adorable pictures of guinea pigs on every other page. The fact that readers are encouraged to support the local small animal rescue centres shows the care and consideration the author has for these adorable fur babies. Very cute.

[Kerrikoala · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute. Can't wait to see which classic they do next!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little story with nice pictures of guinea pigs… It's hard not to empathize with every character when they're all so cute—even the villains.

[Sarah Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read with cute pictures of guinea pugs

[Lipsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the lolz!

[Cara Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a photo storybooks where rescue guinea pigs are dressed in costumes and photographed in classic scenes. It's lovely.