Pet Shop Racers (Pet Shop Racers #1)

Pet shop inhabitants endeavor to follow their Speed Racer dreams in this high-octane, slapstick graphic novel by Jennings (Whoa Panda!). Ham the hamster’s everyday life is one of routine. Once the pet shop’s lights are out and all the people have gone home, however, Ham and fellow residents—including several reptiles and a tiny bird—compete in a nightly race called Hamster-Ball Hullabaloo. But there’s a new kid on the block, one who threatens Ham’s status as the race’s reigning champion: Shelby, an amiable ferret whose overtures of friendship Ham rebukes. Shelby’s unorthodox racing method—balancing on a hamster ball’s exterior—sparks renewed interest in the entertainment, now called the Four-Wheeled Furrenzy, which utilizes pilfered model cars from the pet shop’s neighboring toy store, Ha-Bee’s Hobby Hive. As the stakes heat up with new cars, courses, and fancy modifications, Ham must decide whether it’s more important to be the fastest or to make new friends. Though snarky narration frequently intercuts the action, expressive linework and blocky coloring impart motion, setting the stage for a propulsive animalian comedy series launch. Ages 5–8. (Oct.)