Charlie Hits It Big Book

He's just a regular guinea pig with a fondness for Fruity-Nut Buffet—and dreams of the big time.

Now he's leaving the only home he's ever known and heading for the coast. Stardom awaits him—but is it all he hoped it would be?

Denise Brunkus and Deborah Blumenthal are proud to present a new star who's ready for his close-up. Charlie's debut is what Hollywood hits are made of—humor, adventure, and a good dose of love.

Publishers Weekly

Following in the hoofprints of Chlorinda and Dumpy LaRue, Charlie the guinea pig trades in domesticity for stardom in this high-energy variation on a shopworn theme. Sophie is stunned to find Charlie's cage empty: in Brunkus's (illustrator of the Junie B. Jones books) characteristically emphatic rendition, the girl's eyes pop, a bowl drops from one hand and the guinea pig's food sprays forth from the box she holds in the other. As Sophie's family begins a search party, the visual gags are stock: a mother in curlers, gravity-defying braids for the little sister, both characters shouting with their mouths open so wide that their eyes close. Eventually they discover a scrawled note ("Off to the coast...") and an illuminating article on the newspaper that lines his cage ("Pigs Big in Hollywood"). From there Blumenthal (Don't Let the Peas Touch!) cuts to Charlie's trip to Hollywood, where he instantly wins a leading role and huge popularity. Almost as quickly, he realizes that celebrity feels hollow, and he quietly returns to Sophie. Brunkus gamely ratchets up the camp-Charlie's co-star is a pouty Louise Brooks type with a boa, Charlie's movie-star get-up includes a flowing purple cape and cravat, etc.-but the story doesn't deliver the sparkle of the gold-foil accents on the jacket. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)

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