That's Not a Hippopotamus!

I see him, Miss! Hes super tall! Ill fetch him in no time at all. I gotim, Miss! I gotim, Miss! I KNEW that I could spotim, Miss! ...THATS not a hippopotamus! A class trip to the zoo descends into a chaotic hunt for the missing hippopotamus. Teacher, zookeeper and all the children join the search. The noise and drama reach a pitch, and no one thinks to listen to quiet Liam, who really might know where the hippo is hiding. Thats Not a Hippopotamus is a deft and delightful tale, packed with word play and madcap energyand with a whole different story to enjoy in the illustrations.

“"When the hippo goes missing, the whole young class visiting Don's Safari takes up the search. Don, a white man with a pith helmet and a neat handlebar moustache, welcomes the diverse throng of children with an expansive gesture. One little white boy boldly declares that there's no hippopotamus; indeed, near the arrowed sign stating 'See the amazing hippopotamus' there's just a set of big footprints. Don is frantic, and the determined children turn into a hunting party. They've got more energy than animal sense, mistaking the giraffe, the elephant, and even the snake for a hippopotamus. Davis' pictures capture these interactions hilariously. A little black girl with fabulously poofy hair dangles from the neck of the giraffe like a daredevil, and a brown-skinned girl gets all wrapped up by the snake (who later goes for the teacher, who is white). The entire class has just about given up when an enormous figure wearing an ill-fitting Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, and a tiny ugly hat creeps up behind them. It's little, brown-skinned Liam who tugs on the teacher's skirt to point out the big gray beast lurking behind. MacIver's bouncy, rhyming text betrays its antipodean origins with dropped H's aplenty: 'I got 'im, Miss! I got 'im, Miss!' Davis' colorful illustrations match the text's energy and zaniness, doing a better job than many at capturing racial differences among the children. Buoyant fun for the very young."Kirkus Reviews”

“A fantastic romp to read aloud but it would also be wonderful to share so the nuances in the illustrations can be fully appreciated. Recommended.” -- Magpies (AUS)
“Buoyant fun for the very young” -- Kirkus Reviews (US)
“Kids will ask for it again and again just for the pure joy of joining in the hippo hunt... I highly, highly recommend this book.” -- Storywraps (US)

Juliette MacIver is a picture-book writer and mother of four, who lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Juliette majored in Linguistics at Victoria University, Wellington, and has a diploma in teaching English. Her popular books are regularly shortlisted for awards.

Sarah Davis began illustrating picture books in 2008 and has illustrated more than 30 books. She is a leading illustrator with a wide portfolio of award-winning books. She has won and been shortlisted for numerous awards in Australia and New Zealand, including the 2009 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Crichton Award for Best New Illustrator for her first picture book.

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