by John Patrick Green ; illustrated by John Patrick Green with Cat Caro ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 10, 2016
A charming book with a solid message about changing one’s life through hard work, imagination, and openness to new...
A hippo discovers that the possibilities are limitless.
Hippopotamus’ zoo home is in complete disrepair. Since no kids come to visit, the grounds are overgrown, and the animals look unkempt, neglected, and lonely. Bored and frustrated with his life, Hippo leaves the zoo in order to find a job among humans, refashioning himself as a Hippopotamister. But for what profession is a hippo suited? Green’s warm illustrations and graphic-novel presentation create an appealing protagonist for his debut children’s book as both author and illustrator (with finishing touches by colorist Caro). While the story's tone is more lighthearted than the early Babar books, Hippo’s struggle to find his place in the world is reminiscent of that famous elephant’s, and it is one with which readers will undoubtedly identify. Red Panda, Hippo’s madcap sidekick, is his guide to the human world, and with each occupation they attempt, from hairstylists and construction workers to sous-chefs, Hippo learns more about himself and his hitherto-undiscovered talents. This story contains all of the elements that make the quintessential self-discovery tale so rewarding, as Hippo learns that birthplace need not dictate one’s future and that identity and true happiness might lie in merging the new world he discovers with the home he initially leaves.
A charming book with a solid message about changing one’s life through hard work, imagination, and openness to new experiences. (Graphic fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62672-200-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by John Patrick Green
BOOK REVIEW
by John Patrick Green ; illustrated by John Patrick Green
BOOK REVIEW
by John Patrick Green ; illustrated by John Patrick Green with Aaron Polk
BOOK REVIEW
by John Patrick Green ; illustrated by John Patrick Green
by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
69
Our Verdict
GET IT
IndieBound Bestseller
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More by Craig Smith
BOOK REVIEW
by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley
BOOK REVIEW
by Doug MacLeod ; illustrated by Craig Smith
BOOK REVIEW
by Adam Osterweil and illustrated by Craig Smith
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2013
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity.
Buzz and his buzzy buddy open a spinoff series of nonfiction early readers with an aquarium visit.
Buzz: “Like other fish, sharks breathe through gills.” Fly Guy: “GILLZZ.” Thus do the two pop-eyed cartoon tour guides squire readers past a plethora of cramped but carefully labeled color photos depicting dozens of kinds of sharks in watery settings, along with close-ups of skin, teeth and other anatomical features. In the bite-sized blocks of narrative text, challenging vocabulary words like “carnivores” and “luminescence” come with pronunciation guides and lucid in-context definitions. Despite all the flashes of dentifrice and references to prey and smelling blood in the water, there is no actual gore or chowing down on display. Sharks are “so cool!” proclaims Buzz at last, striding out of the gift shop. “I can’t wait for our next field trip!” (That will be Fly Guy Presents: Space, scheduled for September 2013.)
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity. (Informational easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-50771-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
More by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold , Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
BOOK REVIEW
by Tedd Arnold & Martha Hamilton & Mitch Weiss ; illustrated by Tedd Arnold
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.