OBI, GERBIL ON THE LOOSE!

Obi the gerbil has it made. She has a beautiful apartment—“cage” sounds so distasteful—an exercise wheel, plenty of food, an adoptive mother named Rachel who dotes on her and a secret talent: Obi can read! All is well until Rachel and her family go on vacation, and the boy who comes over to feed the pets—which include three cats, a snake, a tarantula, a dog and a parrot—completely overlooks poor Obi. As a result, Obi goes without food and begins to wonder if Rachel has neglected to leave instructions for her care. Famished, Obi has no choice but to embark on a grand (for a gerbil) adventure to get herself fed; in the process Obi puts her secret skill to good use and develops some brand new ones to boot. If the cast of characters falls a little flat and the story line feels forced and too simplistic for its intended audience, this is still a fun frolic that will draw in those devoted fans of all things furry. (Fiction. 8-11)