Harriet

On reading the author/illustrator's name, one immediately makes a connection with that other well-known Inkpen, and, yes, this is Mick's wife with her first picture book. Harriet is a pet hamster who finds her fought-for freedom rather scary. Unlike Harriet, the string of wild creatures she encounters are well-versed in survival skills. Her unfortunate ducking in the pond reduces her to 'a tiny, soggy, cross heap of fur' ... charming match of words and pictures at this point. Of course we had guessed she would end up in the henhouse, and ultimately in the egg basket, from the cover illustration. But a cosy book, especially for young children with experience of rodent escapologists.