The Great Art Caper

Things at Daisy P. Flugelhorn Elementary School have been quiet—too quiet. Cuddly yet calculating class hamster GW spends his days in second grade and his nights poetry slamming and jigsaw puzzling with his friends, Sunflower and Barry. GW has even started warming up to the second-grade students. Could he be making human friends?

When the school art show is announced, GW learns of a dastardly plot—Harriet and her many minions are planning to ruin it! Once again, it’s up to GW, Sunflower, and Barry to stop to Harriet’s mousy madness.

G.W. and the other lovable classroom pets are adorably cute as they get into hilarious situations. G.W. wants to make Carina a special picture, but the regular classroom supplies aren’t sparkly enough. So G.W. and his friends go to find the mysterious room on the second floor of the school. The class pets are able to make crayons, glitter, and artwork amazingly funny. Readers will love how G.W. learns many lessons about friendship. When G.W. finds out that his friend Carina drew a picture of someone else, Sunflower reminds G.W. that “just because she loves her dad, it doesn’t mean she loves you any less.”

Even though the classroom pets are comical, they also teach lessons about friendship and doing the right thing. At the end of the story, G.W. gives himself up in order to protect Carina’s drawing and the library books. Harriet and her minions add comic suspense to the story while G.W. and his friends are able to conquer the minions with cookies. Readers will appreciate the ironic, heartwarming conclusion.

The Great Art Caper is the perfect graphic novel to add to your reading list. The colorful, comic illustrations exaggerate the character’s facial expressions in order to help readers understand the animal’s emotions. Readers will love the illustrations, the classroom pets, and the special bond that G.W. has for Carina. The Great Art Caper brings humor and joy to the reading experience and should be read by anyone who loves a good story. Although the story can be understood without reading the first book in the series, The Great Pet Escape, readers will want to enjoy both books in the series.

Sexual Content

• None

Violence

• Harriet and her minions use yarn to tie G.W. and his friends up. After the friends are wrapped in yarn, Harriet strings them up so they are hanging from the ceiling. Harriet says, “With these three locked in the supply closet, nothing can stop our evil plan!”
• Harriet and her minion have a battle with G.W. and his friends. The group uses art supplies such as crayons and markers to battle each other. The fight is illustrated over six pages.
• Harriet falls into Plaster of Paris and hardens into a statue.

Drugs and Alcohol

• None

Language

• After tying up G.W. and his friends, Harriet says, “Sleep tight suckers!”
• When breaking into the library, Harriet says, “Maybe NOW the Minions and I will just. . .make a mess out of the whole darn library.”
• When Harriet destroys a painting, G.W calls Harriet a monster.

Supernatural

• None

Spiritual Content

• None