  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2016 PreS-Gr 1—Hippo is annoyed by a bird that will not leave him alone, but an encounter with some bees and a frightening thunderstorm show Hippo that Bird may be just the friend he needs. Alternating perspectives give the pencil and digitally colored illustrations action and movement. The view is high on the page with Bird and then moves closer to the ground with Hippo. Small vignettes, sometimes several on a page, show time passing. A full-bleed spread depicts the dramatic turning point for Hippo. The endpapers, with Hippo's footprints surrounded on all sides by bird marks, foreshadow both Hippo's anxiety at Bird's pushiness and the ultimate conclusion that they are better off together. VERDICT This humorous tale of two unlikely companions is an entertaining discussion starter for children about how (and how not) to make friends.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |