If you’ve always wanted to read a book about capybaras, I have great news for you! My owner wrote a book about me…sort of. It’s actually about three cats who try to capture a capybara that has gotten loose in their neighborhood. The lead cat’s name is Celeste so I didn’t even get top billing. And the capybara is actually name Caplynn and is a girl, so I’m not all that happy about that. But it is a book about capybaras and it is loosely based on me, there aren’t many capybaras who can even say that much.
I’m a little upset that my owner called me a “giant hamster,” but people do call me that when they see me out and about town so I guess it makes sense. If she called the book Celeste and the Capybara probably no one would know what she was talking about. Apart from Capyboppy by Bill Peet this is the only book with a strong capybara role, so I really can’t complain. Read my book! Tell me what you think. Did my owner do justice to my magnificence?
Where to buy Celeste and the Giant Hamster:
Directly from Create Space (use code TYMH9TAX for a10% discount)
From Amazon.com or for the Kindle.
From Barnes & Noble.
From Friends of Books in India.
If you live outside of the Americas and India, infibeam.com might be a good choice of where to buy my book.
If you would like me to sign your copy of the book, use the “contact” button to send me your physical address in an email. I will send you a sticker with my pawprint and signature. You can also get my owner’s signature if you really want.
My pawprint & signature.
Please send a photo of yourself or your pet reading Celeste and the Giant Hamster. I have them all posted on the Reading Rodent post and on Amazon.com. I will post the most recent one here.
Three stuffed animals (including an adorable capybara) owned by Martin Gobbin
Caplin, that is so cool!!! We are having another Pet Parade tomorrow. If you would like to link up one of your posts to it, that would be great! I hope you got a lot of visitors from it last time.
Thank you for joining the Pet Parade! I have such a soft spot in my heart for you, Caplin. I hope your owner sells lots of copies of the book!
wonder filled life Caplin! you are so famous now…thanks for joining the parade!
How exciting to have a book published — that’s one of my dreams!! Congratulations!!
Kelly @ DesignTies
This is the best book I’ve ever read. Ever.
Well I have never…but you are so cute.
Very nice to meet you Caplin!
Nice to meet you Caplin! Please stop by our blog and say hi!
Sniffie and the Florida Furkids
Hi Caplin! I am glad I found you at your new site!
That WinstonPig is cute!
Caplin, i dunno if yoo saw my tweet last nite, but yoo can use my pikshur from twitpic.
We’s lovin Celeste and the Giant Hamster! Celeste even looks lots like me! hehehe
Purrrrrrrrs,
Sanjee and the resta the Hotties
@HotMBC
Actually, I think the baby capybara, Rubio, resembles you a bit more than his mother, Caplynn Rous. Besides being male, he’s the
runtbest of the litter.Now here’s my favorite line in the whole book, because it imbues Caplynn with a metaphorical majesty similar to that of Melville’s whale. Also I just like it: The capybara emerged from the void as a creeping darkness.
For class discussion:
1) Does the above excerpt use the literary technique of foreshadowing? How?
2) What does Celeste’s description of the capybara reveal about her state of mind?
3) “Celeste is cathected to the cavy.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
3) If a capybara (cr)eeps in a forest and no cats are there to hear it, will it still get blueberry yogurt for breakfast? Why or why not?
NEXT WEEK’S READING: THE PATAGONIAN RORSCHACH TEST: LACAN AND THE POSTMODERN CAVY, CHAPTER III, PP. 223-37.
Now I will start asking Mom for your book. She reads a new book almost every day so I am almost positive she will get it for me!
I just found your site through the interview on jeffvandermeer.com. I’m excited to see a book about a capybara, as one of my favourite books as a kid was also about capybaras. My dad wrote a little picture book for me in the style of Robert Munsch adapted from the story by Gerald Durrell about his adventures with his first capybara. Definitely my favourite rodent!
I hope many kids get to read your book and grow to love capybaras too!
[…] you started gearing up for the big book reading on August 6th? I am ready! But I’m not doing the reading. I am doing the “Capybara Encounter” part, which I […]
Caplin,
I showed Sheba the photo of her reading on your page and she sniffed the screen and went to sleep.
I think reading gets tiring for her.
Sheba does not seem to get enough of this book. She is now reading it ON the rail of the porch and it puts me a little out as I have to keep turning the pages for her. Remember, the thumb thing?
I’m putting this book on my birthday wish list! If I don’t get it, I’ll buy it! I’ve done a few self-published rodent-centric poetry/photo books and one has a page with a capybara!
I knew our giant cousins exist – thanks for our friend, Cheryl, who told us about your Blog!
Hi there,
I am socializing/sponsoring a capybara named Doogle at a local zoo here that is privately owned and non profit. It’s owned by 2 vets who open it up to the public once a month and the people can come and pet and hold most of the animals.
Doogle is brand new to this zoo and they only have a small baby pool for her to swim in (she’s only 4 months). We want to install a pond of sorts for her and need some suggestions on filtration, since she goes potty in the pool
if anyone can help, i’d greatly appreciate it! thank you! please email me at slwiess1218@yahoo.com
Hi human owner!
Congratulations on your blog, it is amazing that Capybaras are appreciated outside Brazil or Latin America (here in Brazil we don’t take capybaras as pet – lol).
Some years ago capybaras start to live by the margins of Pinheiros River (one of the most important rivers in São Paulo capital area), which is amazing because of its non friendly environment.
São Paulo is the world’s 7th largest metropolitan area, Pinheiros River is extremely polluted, it does not propitiate the survival of fishes and the urban life is very intense near the region where they live. Although unlikely, capybaras really adopted Pinhieros River as home.
I’ve also chosen capybaras as São Paulo city mascot – pls take a look at my blog http://capivarapaulistana.blogspot.com. (unfortunely it is in Portuguese, but you could translate that using Google Translator Toolkit – Brazilian Portuguese , it is very reliable)
If you’d allow me to I would like to put a link in my blog to yours, and maybe promote your book here.
Congrats again-cheers
You disgusting frigging weirdos having this POOR animal at home, you should’ve left him where he belongs to: the forest. You are no humans, you deserve to be out of the society!
About:
‘
Well, it was all my daughter Coral’s idea. When we were on a trip to Venezuela, she got to hold a young, wild capybara and she fell in love. After we got back, she pretty relentlessly pestered me about getting one for a pet. Since Coral lived in an apartment and was planning on spending a year in Asia, she couldn’t have a pet capybara herself so, she felt, it was up to me to fulfill her capybara vision.
‘
An animal is not a toy!!! That’s incredible how someone can be mentally sick enough to have a capivara at home. YOU ARE DISGUSTING!
Soon your daughter will be collecting *$%! and what are you gonna do with the poor animal? Throw it away?? Horrible example!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Caplin,
Your’re cute! Nice to meet you! Stop by my blog and say hello sometime!
A new fan,
Stella Dora
Just curious Caplin, do you consider “The Wump World” by Bill Peet to feature strong Capybara roles? I had never seen Cappyboppy but “The Wump World” was one of my childhood favorites and the first time I saw a capybara I thought I had found my beloved Wump! Bill Peet cites Cappybobby as a main influence for the wump character and they pretty much look like cartoon Cappys with tails. Maybe their planet got polluted, their genes were affected (so no tails) and they had to find a new home -HERE. Wumps are also very conscious of environmental conservation, something you seem to value as well. If you haven’t see it check out the earth and kid friendly awesomeness here http://www.billpeet.net/PAGES/wump.htm and http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780395311295-0. In the 2ns link click on the preview button for pics. Love you!
PS – Peter is a hater- ignore or reform, your choice
I consider the Wumps to be alien capybaras, so like us but also so different. It is a very cute book. Someday I will have to write a review of it.
You are the neatest Capybara. I so happy we are friends on Twitter. Dat’s a very cute book you have friend.
hi!
i came across your website by googling sauve kapandji…(i will not get into details about that) but i have never ever, not even in cartoons, seen anything like you! took me a while to decide if i liked you, i do! so cute, though if you came walking down the street where i live, people might be a bit scared…
(Approved: 2010/09/18)
That is strange that I came up under sauve kapandji. I don’t even know what that means.
i think someone who had sauve kapandji (nasty surgery on wrist) done, had your blog in his/her bloglist…
—-
(owner) Oh! I can’t believe I forgot what that meant. A surgeon wanted to do to my wrist after I broke it very badly a few years ago. Turns out he was a quack. All I needed was to have the pin he put in removed, another sign that he was a quack.
[…] マーティン・ゴビンの３匹のぬいぐるみ（かわいいカピバラも） July 2nd, 2009 | Tags: Book, capybara, Capyboppy, cat, Celeste and the Giant Hamster, children’s book, giant hamster, giant rat, pawprint, reading rodent, rodent | Category: Book, Caplin’s Blog | 27 comments […]
Love your blog, Caplin! Both my (tiny little) hamster and I read it religiously now 🙂
I love ur blog too, Caplin! :3
[…] about capybaras as pets. There’s even a book about cats and capybaras living together, Celeste and the Giant Hamster. (I think they really look more like giant guinea pigs, which are also […]
I am in love with Capybaras!!!! I have read your very interesting posts. I read it on amazon & you did a great job with that book.
My daughter is fond of this book. I love this one.