Hippospotamus

By: Jeanne Willis
Publisher: 21st Century
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1467703161
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: November 2012

Hippopotamus was swimming in the water when all of a sudden she noticed something odd. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed a big red spot on her bottom. Oh, my ... what could it be? Cheetah smiled and covered her mouth so she wouldn’t laugh and the frogs bobbed around in the water as they pointed to the spot. “Hippopotamus had a spotamus ... on her bottomus.” How positively embarrassing. Weasel was certain that she had a diseasel and the treatment was to get out and get some sunshine and heat on it. It sure did look like she had a case of the measles.

Hippo stood on her head and let the sun warm the spot, but nope, it still was there. Fox was convinced that it was hippopox and the only cure for that was to put on “woolly pants and socks” and “warm petticoats and frocks.” It sure did look like that spot was still on her bottomus. “But potamus got hotamus, / Grumpimus and grotamus / And still she had the spotamus.” This would never do. Then Beaver was sure she had jungle fever and a surefire cure for that was a darn good scrub with soot. It was such a mess! Everyone was positive they knew what that red spotomus was, but just how was Hippo going to get rid of it?

This is a charmingly hysterical story of Hippo’s unsightly spotamus little ones will love. The tale, told as a story in rhyme, doesn’t miss a beat as it romps through the book. Hippo gets grumpier and grumpier the more her friends diagnose and try to cure her spotomus. The darling little twist at the end will make your little ones giggle, if they haven't already. The pen and ink and watercolor drawings have just the right amount of zip to make this story even more hilarious. Even the Croc doc couldn’t figure out her ailment, but just maybe the youngster who takes a peek at the back page can!

Quill says: Hippo's hilarious spotomus dilemma will be one of those stories little ones will ask you to read time and time again!