The parts are assembled and I’m nearly through formatting. It’s a bit like whack-a-mole and life has its distractions, like writing this blogpost. Still, I’m aiming for an October November 2025 launch. I’ll edit and post the actual publishing date here, so check back for updates!This is the same book I posted here serially.  (You can find it at Rodent Reader Quarterly, too.)  I drew up loads more illustrations and now we have this stunning cover artwork!

The main character is Dobby, of course. Unlike other books, the characters in this book are based upon real animals. Caplin and Gari both star in this book, thanks to Melanie Typaldos. Dobby’s parents, Bonnie and Clyde, were also parents of Caplin, so they truly were brothers in real life.

Written as a chapter book for 10-12 year olds, I went overboard and created way too many characters. Can I help it if I wanted to include my best buddies? The good news is that so many are rodents! I created a couple charts to help readers keep them all straight.

Check out the rodents first! Beside the capybaras, there are squirrels, a porcupine, a beaver, a mountain beaver, guinea pigs, and a vole. Oh, yes, don’t forget the naked mole rats! Rabbits are not rodents, but it’s not for lack of trying.

It’s clear why there are so many capybaras featured. How about those guinea pigs? At any given time we have from three to twelve guinea pigs at Stacy’s Funny Farm, a  non-profit pet sanctuary. Long ago, I had a pet field mouse- Vincent the vole- that I rescued from a roto-tilling accident. Growing up, my dad had a pet flying squirrel (named Peanut). Are you getting the idea?

Here are a few more familiar faces! These characters live at the Funny Farm, except for the rooster. Our city doesn’t allow roosters.

Not all of the characters are residents at the Funny Farm.  There are a bunch of naked mole rats who build the zeppelin and then fly it. They are one of the most fascinating rodents on our planet, and fun to watch if your local zoo has them. There is also a mysterious evil capybara who resembles none of the capybaras I have met.

Mostly, it’s all about Dobby the capybara, as it should be!

I don’t want to frighten everyone- yet- so the alligators will have to wait. They are important to the story, but we don’t dignify them with names. (And, no, we don’t have alligators at the Funny Farm!) Dobby’s car and the amphibious truck (named Newt) will also be revealed later.

That’s our little preview! This book is written for young readers, but it is suitable for all ages. It would make a great bedtime story! If it makes you laugh, my job is done!

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This post was brought to you by Stacy’s Funny Farm, a non-profit pet sanctuary. We hope you will be inspired to make a donation. We especially appreciate monthly giving- the PayPal portal offers that option. If you want to help but are short on cash, head over to Dobby’s YouTube channel.  There are hundreds of capybara videos there. We’re monetized and those ads pay out nicely, so please watch, share, and subscribe.

Stacy’s Funny Farm is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

EIN 47-1397412