Guinea pigs - Heather Maisner

These are the books to buy if you are considering getting a pet for your young child. The emphasis is more on understanding the signals that your pet gives you rather than caring for your pet, the assumption being that at this age, the parent would shoulder most of the pet care. The authorial voice throughout is the pet, telling his child owner what he means when he wags his tail, fluffs up to ten times his normal size or flattens his ears. The tone is light and the text isamusing, while at the same time containing a great deal of useful information. And of course the photographs provide the all-important 'aaah' factor.