Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hippo has a toothache and he's not taking it well: "He grumped and bellowed-spun in circles-and crashed into a tree." And since no other animal in the plains knows what's wrong, the rumor mill shifts into high gear, and soon all the inhabitants are adding their own speculations as to what's going on: "Hippo's gone bananas!... He's knocking down every tree in the jungle, kicking them off the cliff, rolling them into the river, damming up the water, and flooding the Serengeti." O'Malley's (Cinder Edna) high-octane marker and colored pencil drawings expertly build the mounting chaos, which erupts into a stampede. The critters decide there's only one way to stop the madness: push Hippo off a cliff. But not to worry: he not only lands safely, but also loses his troublesome tooth. Although the story may be familiar, it should make for a rewarding read-aloud; Murray (Little Wolf and the Moon) builds some effective verbal comedy through repetition, and peppers it with some fun, animal-centric exclamations (e.g., "Leaping Lemurs!"). Most importantly, the book gets a good goose from O'Malley's artwork. His beefy, energetic renderings and extensive repertoire of over-the-top animal expressions should be good for a few cascades of giggles. Ages 3-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Readers know from page one of this delightfully silly cumulative tale that Hippo has a toothache, but his friends have no idea what is bothering him. Cuckoo Bird runs off to tell Monkey that Hippo is "going bananas" and is knocking down every tree in the jungle and Monkey runs off to tell Leopard, etc. By the time all of the animals reach Hippo, the story is that he is flooding the Serengeti with trees. His pals decide that the agitated creature has "skeeter fever" and needs to be cooled off in the river, so they give him a "great big HEAVE-HO PUSH-." In two energetic vertical spreads, Hippo thumps and klumps down the mountainside into the water, where, finally, out pops the offending molar. The toothache is gone, but now the protagonist has a headache-. O'Malley's marker-and-colored-pencil drawings are goofy and expressive, with a variety of perspectives ranging from a close-up of Hippo's mouth, to a furiously dashing parade of animals, to the split panels of Hippo's bumpy trip down the mountain. This is great fun as a read-aloud for storytime or one-on-one sharing, and beginning readers will enjoy it as well.-Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Hippo's toothache makes him holler, the frightened jungle animals string together an elaborate explanation for his agony. Then the book switches gears: the animals approach Hippo to diagnose him and shove him off a cliff into a river because he's ""too hot."" The story lacks a clear vision, but the savanna-toned illustrations deliver a humorous twinkle or two. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Wasting his considerable talent on a clumsy, illogical tale, O'Malley casts big, rotund, comically frantic-looking animals knocking down trees, dashing hither and yon or tumbling down a steep hillside. Seeing Hippo flailing about suffering from a toothache, Cuckoo flies off to spread the alarm. Each listener in succession adds a fanciful bit to the report, until Hippo's charged with trying to flood the entire Serengeti--whereupon his concerned "friends" gather round, and ultimately push him off a tall cliff. Down he falls, through no fewer than eight sideways panels--after which his tooth pops out, and he complains that now he has a headache. A communal nuzzle provides a cozy closing note, but such similar tales as Helen Ketteman's Armadillo Tattletale, illustrated by Keith Graves (2000), or Jonathan Meres's Big Bad Rumor, illustrated by Jacqueline East (2000), will play better, even with uncritical readers. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
