Humphrey's Tiny Tales

Series · 8 books · 2011-2017

By Betty G. Birney

Books in series

Humphrey's Really Wheely Racing Day

2013

Everyone’s favorite classroom pet is now starring in chapter books! Humphrey is one happy hamster. He lives in Room 26 at Longfellow School. He has a big comfy cage with a wheel perfect for spinning and a room full of friends. But when Humphrey goes to Mandy’s house one weekend, he learns that her hamster has something Humphrey has never seen before—a hamster car! Humphrey wants one, too, but school is not usually the place for toys. Then his teacher talks about bringing in something special for a project. Is Humphrey getting a really wheely surprise? With adorable illustrations and an easy reading level, Humphrey’s Tiny Tales are just right for emergent readers.

Humphrey's Playful Puppy Problem

2013

Everyone’s favorite classroom pet is now starring in chapter books! Humphrey, the classroom hamster of Room 26, loves spending weekends with his classmates. This week, he is going home with Richie. Humphrey is going to help him with his science experiment (hamsters LOVE-LOVE-LOVE to be helpful). But Humphrey finds a surprise at Richie’s house. Poppy the puppy is bouncy and barky and is eager to play—a little too eager, Humphrey thinks. Humphrey needs to get out of his cage to help Richie, but can he do that and stay out of Poppy’s way at the same time? With adorable illustrations and an easy reading level, Humphrey’s Tiny Tales are just right for emergent readers.

Humphrey's Creepy-Crawly Camping Adventure

2011

Everyone's favorite classroom pet is now starring in chapter books! Humphrey has had lots of adventures as the classroom pet of Room 26, but never one like this. He is going on a campout in the backyard with Heidi and her friends! There’s stargazing, roasting marshmallows, searching for creepy-crawlies—and then there are the prank-loving boys next door, who want to prove that the girls are scaredy-cats. Humphrey doesn’t think girls are scaredy-cats. He doesn’t think girls are like cats at all. Can this VERY-VERY-VERY small hamster show them with a hairy-scary trick of his own? With sweet illustrations and an easy reading level, Humphrey’s Tiny Tales are hamster-iffic for emerging readers.

Humphrey's School Fair Surprise

2011

Everyone's favorite classroom pet is now starring in chapter books! Longfellow School is having a school fair! They will have bouncy castles, bean bag games, painted faces, and delicious treats. And there's also a contest for best class spirit. Of course Mrs. Brisbane's class decides Humphrey and Og are the biggest reasons their class is so special and they make costumes and signs to show everyone why. At first it seems as though Humphrey and Og won't get to go to the fair, but luckily Aldo figures out a way to get them there safely. The fair is as wonderful as Humphrey imagined and he even ends up being the surprise star of the day. Just-right for readers transitioning from easy-to-reads to chapter books, Humphrey's Tiny Tales simply make kids HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY.

Humphrey's Mixed-Up Magic Trick

2016

Humphrey might be the first classroom hamster ever to be part of a magic act! The kids in Room 26 are talking about jobs they want to have when they grow up. Golden-Miranda wants to be a magician and, even more exciting, she wants Humphrey to be her assistant when she shows the class some tricks. But when one of her tricks is in trouble, can Humphrey’s quick thinking (and scampering) fix it in time? With sweet illustrations and an easy reading level, Humphrey’s Tiny Tales are great-great-great for emerging readers.

Humphrey's Treasure Hunt Trouble

2017

Humphrey might be the only one who can solve the mystery of the missing treasure hunt prize! Garth has a surprise for his friends when they get to his party—a treasure hunt! Riddles are hidden all around his backyard and he put the prize in the best hiding spot of all—Humphrey's cage. Only Humphrey knows something Garth doesn't: someone stole the prize! Humphrey doesn't know who took it, but he is good at solving mysteries. Can he put the clues together and save the treasure hunt? With sweet illustrations and an easy reading level, Humphrey's Tiny Tales are hamster-iffic for emerging readers.

My Pet Show Panic!

2011

Humphrey is the favorite pet in Room 26, but will he also be a favorite at the pet show? When A.J. brings Humphrey to the town pet show, he's sure Humphrey will win a prize. But Humphrey isn't convinced. There are all kinds of animals in the show—from dogs and cats to parrots and even something called a bearded dragon! Humphrey tries to impress the judges with some tricks, but when a dog noses a little too close to him, Og the Frog saves the day with the most impressive trick of all. And Humphrey realizes that a great friend is the best prize ever.

Humphrey's Tiny Tales 4

My Great Big Birthday Bash!

2012

Dear friends, I love-love-love sharing my adventures as a classroom hamster with all my friends. But sometimes my paw gets tired from so much writing! To give it a rest, I've written some shorter tales that are every bit as funny and exciting as my 'According to Humphrey' books.

Author

Betty G. Birney

Author · 46 books

From kindergarten through graduation, I attended school in Affton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Then I graduated from Webster College (now Webster University) in Webster Groves, Missouri. Of course, I majored in English and kept on writing. After working in advertising in St. Louis, Missouri and in Chicago, Illinois, I eventually moved to Southern California. First, I worked for Disneyland (fun job!) in the advertising department. The monorail whizzed past my window all day long. Then I worked at the Disney Studio in Burbank, where I had another fun job, writing and producing television and radio commercials and theatrical trailers (previews of coming attractions) for everything from re-releases of "Cinderella" and "Fantasia" to "Tex." When the Disney Channel was started, I became a writer and story editor for WELCOME TO POOH CORNER. Since then, I've written more than 200 episodes of animated and live-action television programs including MADELINE, DOUG, BOBBY'S WORLD, DUMBO'S CIRCUS, THE PUZZLE PLACE, CAMP CANDY, LITTLE MOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, WHERE'S WALDO, FRAGGLE ROCK and ZOOBILEE ZOO. That's right, I write cartoons! I also wrote a number of award-winning afterschool specials and many interactive CD-ROM programs, including the award-winning "Berenstain Bears on their Own," "Richard Scarry's Busiest Neighborhood Ever," and "The Crayon Factory." A made-for-television family movie I wrote, MARY CHRISTMAS, starring John Schneider, Cynthia Gibb and Tom Bosley, aired on the PAX network in 2002. It was the highest rated movie in PAX history and has aired each Christmas season since then. I have been fortunate enough to win a Writer's Guild of America Award and three Humanitas Prizes (as well as two other nominations). In 2002, I won a Daytime Emmy Award for MADELINE, after two previous Emmy nominations. More recently, I received the Christopher Award for FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, many children's choice awards for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and was inducted into the Affton (MO) School District Hall of Fame.