Here Comes Doctor Hippo

PreS-Gr 2–Little Hippo likes pretending that he is big, and one day he dresses like a doctor and goes outside to check on his animal friends on the African plains. Unfortunately, he has some difficult cases. Taking a look at Big Hippo’s teeth, he is overcome by his patient’s “marsh muck” breath. Very Tall Giraffe has a long sticky tongue with which he proceeds to “sluuuuurrrrrrrrp” Little Hippo. Giant Crocodile snaps, and Laughing Hyena is ticklish. And so on until Lion’s “RAAAAAAHHHRRRRRRR!” has the youngster running home to tell Mama that he doesn’t feel so well anymore. After a reassuring checkup, nice bath, and big hug from Doctor Mommy, Little Hippo is ready for a good night’s sleep. The cartoonlike illustrations are done in gouache and nicely complement the simple text. Children will relate to the feeling of being lost in a big person’s world, and they will enjoy joining in to snap, sneeze, and roar with each animal that Little Hippo meets. A humorous addition for storytimes about mother-child relationships, animals, or imagination.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA