Hippo! No, Rhino

by Jeff Newman

Book Overview

When the zookeeper puts up thewrong sign outside the rhinoceros's cage, poor rhino isrepeatedly mistaken for a hippopotamus! Children willdelight in identifying the mistake and will sympathizewith the helpless rhinoceros.In the tradition of Good Night, Gorilla, this hilariousand almost wordless story is told in charming andhumorous illustrations and dialogue. Jeff Newman'sstriking art is filled with fun details that inviterepeat readings.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031615573X
• ISBN13: 9780316155731
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 6 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 1

Customer Reviews

A Work of Art!

This is a beautiful picture book, richly illustrated by Newman, who lets his artwork tell the story of a rhino suffering from mistaken identity. Newman's colorful and expressive characters are not only fun, they guide the reader smoothly through his touching tale, allowing the reader to sympathize with poor rhino and cheer for the little hero who may help him. Add this book to your child's library and it will remain a favorite -- a perfect example of how art (and just a handful of words) is used to express feelings and experiences.

Great picture book

This book is filled with great pictures for kids just reading to too young to read for themselves. The story is told through the pictures, so it is fun and easy for them to follow along. Our son really loves us to read it to him, and I highly recommend it as a first book.

Making the hippo happy -- and kids too

Describing this book is going to take more words than are in it, all of which more or less rhyme with "rhino." And that's good, because there aren't many books that manage to be uncomplicated and hilarious at the same time. See, there's this rhino. And a sign. But the sign says - you got it - hippo! And it's all the zookeeper's fault. Probably a union guy. Or maybe the summer intern. Then there are various hip-looking tourists, who aren't much smarter. And then, of course, there's one wise little boy who can read, just like my little boy now, who loves this book to death. Literally. Atop the watercolor and marker and ink, there's a smudge of toothpaste and what looks like chocolate, though it could be gravy, and plenty of creases and bends. I think it adds to the expressionistic feel, personally. Because you'd have to be colorblind not to "read" the hues as the big, blue hippo sinks into a dark funk, and various characters' green or blue or yellow skin tones say a lot about them too. There's a '60s feel to the art, maybe a touch of those Little Golden Books now making a comeback, but the sensibility is entirely snarky post-modern. I keep seeing this book atop bloggers' lists of favorites, which it deserves, because you're never too young to feel for the oppressed rhino in all of us.

A children's book that makes kids really sit up and take notice

Newman's second book is a gem! As with his first, Reginald, he illustrates with an incomparable talent. Hippo, however, is a very special addition to any child's collection. Readers actually have to look closely at the characters' facial expressions and body language in order to tell the story. What a refreshing idea! Kids are not spoon fed ideas or a story with this book; they must create the story themselves. What is NOT said is what is so special about this book. In an age of too much stimuli and information, this is truly a very sophisticated concept and great way for kids to slow down and really read a book, each reading bearing new discoveries and subtleties. Great book!

A zany and fun story which uses a minimum of words and plenty of color pictures to get the message a

Rhino is content with his zoo life, until one day the zookeeper gives Rhino a new - and wrong - sign. Now everyone expects him to be a hippo - and nobody will fix the sign-o. What's a rhino to do? Rhino needs a solution, fast in this zany and fun story which uses a minimum of words and plenty of color pictures to get the message across.