‘The Lost Hamsters of Barnaby Bunch’ is thrilling allegory
“The Lost Hamsters of Barnaby Bunch” by Michael Jude Schauer sounds like a children’s storybook, but Michael Jude Schauer’s novel is an allegorical tale of heroes and villains, with suspense and thrilling adventure.
Kind-hearted Barnaby Bunch works at Stumpy’s Pet Shop, which animalhating owner Ichabod Stump inherited from his father. Barnaby cares for the animals and Ichabod complains about them. One day, Ichabod storms into the store outraged because the hamsters have been multiplying, as hamsters will, and demands that Barnaby drown them.
While Barnaby is agonizing over this situation, one of the hamsters pleads for help. Barnaby, stunned that hamsters can speak, casts about frantically for a solution. He remembers that Ichabod’s father, the previous owner, had entrusted him with five magic stones and a sort of spell to be recited. He loads all the hamsters in a basket, takes them into the forest and leaves them to survive on their own. He also leaves the stones.
Survive they do — under the leadership of Captain Nathaniel Nibbles, who describes himself as “the oldest and most respected hamster in this lot.” Captain Nibbles instructs his troops to upend the basket and turn it into a shelter. They forage for food and devise weapons. When one of the hamsters goes astray, Captain Nibbles leads a search party.
With the use of one of the stones, the valiant hamsters defeat a group of wild boars but then are lured into a den of wolves. Nibbles uses the stones judiciously, only when the hamsters are in desperate straits. They discover that, while wolves are predators, rats and falcons are allies.
Meanwhile, a gargantuan canary is bullied by his fellow canaries until he finds a way to outwit a pack of bobcats, but they are later joined by the wild boars and other vicious creatures who join them in a final showdown.
Those who might find a book that includes a hamster shooting a silvertipped arrow into the ear of a wolverine and a tomato fight between pigeons and baboons nonsensical might consider mentally substituting the animals for humans; they will find a rousing adventure with tinges of British mythology.
“The Lost Hamsters of Barnaby Bunch” (202 pages, softcover) costs $18.95 from online retailers. Schauer is retired from teaching the third grade in the Revere school district.
‘White Darkness’
“White Darkness: Poetic Tales of the Schizophrenic Experience” by Susan Wojnar of Youngstown tells of living with schizophrenia, hearing voices and a mind not in its owner’s control.
Her condition affects dating and applying for jobs, including her work as a dancer in strip joints where the other dancers encouraged her until one “discovered a distaste” for her and ruined her clothes and car. The effort and uselessness of inpatient care and dealing with dismissive doctors is disheartening.
Wojnar uses the word “tarantella” several times, illustrating the turbulence of her existence. In “I Scream the Body Electric,” the speaker recounts having a crisis while driving, with light and sound “pulling on my inflamed brain.” She is questioned by police and wakes up “in the locked ward.” The following poem, “What Was,” describes an idyllic childhood, with bicycles and playing dress-up. It ends with “What could possibly go wrong?”
“White Darkness” (70 pages, softcover)
Events
Shaker Heights Public Library (16500 Van Aken Blvd.): Gin Hammond reads from her debut novel “Returning the Bones,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Register at shakerlibrary.org.
Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library: Kim Scott joins the Online Author Talk series with “Radical Candor: Be a KickAss Boss Without Losing Your Humanity” and “Radical Respect: How to Work Together Better,” 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday. Register at smfpl.org.
Hudson Library & Historical Society (96 Library St.): There is a waiting list to see former White House special assistant Cassidy Hutchinson talk about “Enough,” but there may be seats in the simulcast room, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. At 2 p.m. Saturday, Wall Street Journal correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov appears virtually to talk about “Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine’s War of Independence. Register at hudsonlibrary.org.
Geauga Public Library (Middlefield branch, 16167 E. High St.): Amanda Flower, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Register at geaugalibrary.net.
Heights Library (Coventry Village branch, 1925 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights): Musicologist Richard Koloda talks about “Holy Ghost: The Life and Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler,” 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Register at heightslibrary.org.
Pivot Arts Center (11400 Euclid Ave., Cleveland): The 12th annual Lake Erie Ink’s Kids’ Comic Con features workshops with Brad Ricca and other writes and illustrators, beginning at 4 p.m. Friday and running through 3 p.m. Saturday. Saturday events at Cleveland Museum of Art’s Community Arts Center at the Pivot Center, 2937 West 25th Street. Admission $10; go to lakeerieink.com.
Cleveland Public Library (Union branch, 3463 E. 93rd St.): Marie Abron reads from her storybook “Pickle Me Pickle,” 11 a.m. Saturday. Register at cpl.org.
Barnes & Noble (28801 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere): Mark Dawidziak talks about “A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe,” just nominated for Agatha and Edgar awards, 2 p.m. Saturday.
Loganberry Books (13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights): Angela Crook launches her novel “Hurt Mountain,” 3 p.m. Saturday.
Advance notice for an event sure to sell out: Michelle Williams, former Destiny’s Child singer and author of “Checking In: How Getting Real About Depression Saved My Life and Can Save Yours” is part of the Dr. Audrey Lavin Speaking of Books Author Series and the Kent State University Featured Speaker Series, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 7 at the Canton Palace Theatre. Register at starklibrary.org.