[.ca] My Hamster and Me (ISBN 0764118056)

Not the best out there by far:
Of the many hamster books I've seen, this is the one I can't recommend. Visually, it has lots of nice photos and is written mainly to kids. BUT it also has opinion presented as fact. For example, the hamster 'ball', the plastic ball hamster owners have been buying since the 1970s, is described as a "prison" for your hamster! I take issue with nonfiction books that present opinions as facts, and I'm glad I eventually ignored such a statement and bought one anyway. Rather than call the toy "a prison," the book should have presented how the toy should be used. The *fact* is that the toy should only be used for 15 to 45 minutes - under supervision - and then your pet should be returned to his cage for at least a pit stop of for food and water. That's what the book should have said. In my case, I found that my hamster is far less timid about exploring a room when he's protected by his ball than when he's out on his own (then he barely moves). Other books, by many experienced hamster owners, suggest the ball as one of many toys for a happy pet hamster. For a more factual, less opinionated book on owning a hamster, I would suggest anything by Betsy Sikora Siino. There's "The Essential Hamster," a slimmed-down but still useful version of her book "The Hamster: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet."

For the little hamster lover:
This is a nice book for the child hamster owner, perhaps for reading even before the pet is purchased. It does not contain all the details that a hamster owner might need, but it covers basic behavior and how to treat the pet. Cute photos, too!