Hippo! No, Rhino - Jeff Newman
Thoughtful boy solves case of mistaken identity.
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Book details
- Author:Jeff Newman
- # of pages: 32
- Publisher:Little, Brown & Co.
- Original Publication Date: 07/12/2006
- Genre: Fiction - Picture Book
- Hardcover: $15.99
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: 4-8
- Read Aloud: 4+
- Read Alone: 4+
- Awards:ALA Notable Children's Book
Parents need to know
Parents need to know that there is nothing to be concerned about in this book, though young children may find it difficult to understand on the first reading.
Families can talk about zoos, animals, signs, hippos, rhinos, the birds on the rhino's back, and all the other details illustrated in this almost wordless book. They also might discuss the differences between hippos and rhinos. Why is the rhino feeling so frustrated? How would you feel if you were called the wrong name? What would you do about it? Why do you think no one else but the young boy noticed that the sign was wrong?
Families can talk about zoos, animals, signs, hippos, rhinos, the birds on the rhino's back, and all the other details illustrated in this almost wordless book. They also might discuss the differences between hippos and rhinos. Why is the rhino feeling so frustrated? How would you feel if you were called the wrong name? What would you do about it? Why do you think no one else but the young boy noticed that the sign was wrong?
Message
Social Behavior:
Consumerism:
Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:
Violence
Sex
Language
Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Patricia Tauzer
The rhinoceros gets more and more frustrated after the zookeeper misidentifies him as a hippo. No one seems to notice, or care, until a small boy comes along and makes things right.
Is it any good?
Expressive mix-media illustrations make this book, and will draw the reader back to it time and time again. From the growing confusion on the face of zookeeper Randy to the many moods of the misidentified rhino and the startled reactions of the onlookers, Jeff Newman has used pencil, ink, marker, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, pastels, and cut paper to tell a very simple but humorous and impressive story.
However, though the illustrations are clever and intriguing, the text is minimal. This makes it a story that most young kids will not really understand on the first reading, and the adult reader will have to add some explanation. Happily, each page offers a plethora of enjoyable detail, both subtle and not, that encourages discussion and will quickly unravel the story. And, that is half the fun.
Once kids get it, they will take off on their own. They will love acting out the part of the frustrated rhino, relate to his struggle, and especially enjoy shouting out his few rhyming objections: "Hippo ... No, Rhino!" or "Change the sign-O!" or "That's not mine-O!"
HIPPO...NO, RHINO! was named an ALA Notable book for 2007.
Other choices
Other Fun at the Zoo:
If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss
Curious George Visits the Zoo by Margret Rey
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman
Another Wordless Book Told through Art:
Flotsam by David Wiesener
Parents and kids say
All Reviews
There are 1 reviews.
Age 5+
Posted on 08/13/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
Adult Reviews
There are 1 reviews.
Age 5+
Posted on 08/13/07 by Anonymous Adult contributor
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