·        Why did Aunt Beatie never have any guests staying at her guesthouse?

·        Why do you think Leo was sent to stay at Beatie’s place every summer? Where do you like to go for holidays?

What was special about Flurp?

Why did Leo go into the tiny basement with Furp and what happened next?

·        What did Furp do after eating the trifle? Why did the wallpaper start pealing?  

·        How did Furp come to eat the entire pier and man who used to own it?

What is a snurt and what made it and why?

·        What happened to Furp and how do you think Leo managed to escape alive?

·        The original owner of Furp was the grumpy old man…what message does the author give about people who are miserable and grumpy?

·        How do we know Betsy was ‘crackers’ about hamsters?

·        Why did Betsy want a gerbil and why was this a mistake?

·        How did the gerbil and the hamster escape their cages?

·        How were the hamster and the gerbil able to stay at Betsy’s place? How do you think Betsy feels? How might Gigi feel?

·        What is the author’s message here about living with one another or not?