Great Big Guinea Pigs

Did you know that Guinea Pigs the size of Buffalo used to roam the earth? This book is full of facts about the history of the lovable pets that children all over the world have come to love. A mother Guinea Pig shares the story with us as she puts her baby to bed. We learn that the small Guinea Pigs of today have huge ancestors that once roamed swampy areas in Venezuela. They were herbivores that grazed on the thick lush grass found there. We also learn that their ancestors used to walk upright and balanced themselves with their long tails. They lived in harmony with giant turtles, giant alligators, tall birds, and other large animals. The size of the animals was due the limited amount of predators located in the area as well as their access to the vast food supply. Guinea Pigs began to evolve into the small cuddly pets of today after the land bridge between South and North America appeared. This land bridge became an access route for many of the fiercer predators found in North America as they traveled south to search for food. The large mammals in South America had to adapt in order to escape. They became smaller and quicker than their ancestors.

I was very interested in this book. Susan Roth presented the facts in this story in a way that all readers can relate to. The story is told from the perspective of a mother telling her child a bedtime story. The use of collages gives us the feeling that we are in the cage with the mother and her baby as they get ready for bed. Once again I’m amazed at the smallest details that Roth is able to include in her illustrations. The sharp teeth of the giant Guinea Pigs makes them appear more fierce than their small counterparts. The placement of the text as well of the illustrations aides in the creation of page turns which invite the reader to explore more about these awesome creatures. Roth uses diagonal lines to depict the active lives the ancient creatures led in their swampy home. Roth uses full bleeds in her illustrations to clue the reader in to the vastness of the swampy area being described.

I was inspired to learn more about the fascinating history of these wonderful creatures after reading this book. I immediately researched them using Google and couldn’t read enough about them. My first thought was “No Way!” I soon found out that there was truth to this story as I read all about the fossil that was found long ago. They really were that big! I can’t wait to read this book to my students. After reading this book we would research more about the giants we read about. We would talk about how they had adapted, and I would introduce them to other extinct animals. I would have them pick an animal that is extinct today or one that had adapted over the years and have them write a “Wow” nonfiction book about their animal.