Four guinea pigs, two kids and a whole street full of people with something to say
The leading roles always belong to the guinea pigs, Daria and Christian. Everyone else brings the questions, the evidence and the laughs. Rocky, Mr. Grey, Toffy and Mojito live in the enclosure in the garden. Daria and Christian are ten and the only ones the guinea pigs talk to.
The two kids
No coincidence: the two kids share their names with the founders of FLITCH, Daria and Christian. The kids in the books stand for our mission: stay curious, ask questions, do it yourself.
Who else is in the story
At Knut's garden center and around the neighborhood, the kids learn what wages, prices and savings mean in real life. Or somebody steals a shoelace.
“I don't promise anything I haven't calculated.”
“A payslip is not a wish list.”
“You don't sign a contract in a doorway.”
“And remember — somebody always takes a cut.”
“First we laugh a little. Then we do the math properly.”
“I photograph things before everybody says: It's always been like that.”
Questions about the characters
Who are the main characters in The Business Guinea Pigs?
The four guinea pigs Rocky (the showman), Mr. Grey (the professor), Toffy (the heart) and Mojito (the trickster), and the two ten-year-olds Daria (the entrepreneur) and Christian (the tinkerer). They carry every volume.
Who shows up for the first time in which volume?
Mr. Berger and Mrs. Müller are there from Volume 1. Knut joins as the supplier in Volume 2, and Ina and Jonas show up in Volume 4 at Knut's garden center. Filip and Zottel the dachshund are new in Volume 5. In Volume 6, Mr. Berger and Mrs. Müller play a big part, because both of them own shares.
Why do the guinea pigs only talk to Daria and Christian?
That's the most important rule in the enclosure: in front of people they don't know, the guinea pigs never say a word. Knut, Ina or Filip only hear squeaking. Only Daria and Christian understand what the four are saying.
Who is Filip?
Filip is the neighbor's boy, 13 years old and new in Volume 5. He walks Zottel, photographs price tags as evidence and asks about everything: How do we know that?
Who are Ina and Jonas?
Ina is Knut's bookkeeper. In Volume 4 she explains the pay slip to the kids, and in Volume 5 she works out Knut's prices. Jonas has worked in Knut's warehouse since Volume 4.
Are the guinea pigs real?
Yes. Rocky, Mr. Grey, Toffy and Mojito live with us, and the characters in the books are inspired by them. The two kids have our names, Daria and Christian. And Zottel is modeled on Christian's real dog.