This beginning chapter book is illustrated by Montréal’s Stéphane Jorisch, the four-time winner of the Governor General’s Award. Moving away from a small town to settle in a busy new city is a tough change for Emi. She misses her cousins and wishes for a dog to fill her lonely days. When their landlord will only allow a caged pet, Emi and her mom visit the local animal shelter. That’s when Emi selects an adult hamster. But Emi’s excitement starts to fade when she realizes that Mini sleeps all day and only becomes active at night, making her choice a less than appealing pet. When Mini escapes, Emi learns more about hamsters in an effort to understand Mini’s needs and devise a way to get her back. Throughout the process, Emi comes to love her “pocket-sized pet” and finds ways to deal with change and loneliness.

Other End Matter: Coloured illustrated endpapers of hamsters in creative poses
Images: Colour illustrations
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Hanako Masutani writes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and literature for children. She lives in Vancouver with her three children. She wrote a story in the collection Henry Chow and Other Stories, published by Tradewind Books.

Hanako Masutani's profile page

Stéphane Jorisch is one of Canada's most celebrated illustrators. He is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award for Children’s Illustration for Jabberwocky and The Owl and The Pussycat. He grew up in Montréal, Quebec, where he now lives with his family.

Stéphane Jorisch's profile page

“Emi and Mini is a gentle read for older children adjusting to new situations or responsibilities. Stéphane Jorisch’s illustrations complement Hanako Masutani’s storytelling (and) throughout the book, colour is effectively used to echo emotions.”

CM Reviews, recommended

“Absolutely beautiful illustrations by Jorish make Masutani’s charming tale come to life. Many readers will be interested in the glimpses into Emi’s Japanese Canadian culture as they follow her sweet journey … A familiar tale of big changes and animal love that many readers will relate to; some challenging vocabulary makes this a good independent reading choice for intermediate readers or a read-aloud for younger readers.”

Midwest Book Review

“Absolutely beautiful illustrations by Jorish make Masutani’s charming tale come to life. Many readers will be interested in the glimpses into Emi’s Japanese Canadian culture as they follow her sweet journey … A familiar tale of big changes and animal love that many readers will relate to; some challenging vocabulary makes this a good independent reading choice for intermediate readers or a read-aloud for younger readers.”

SLJ