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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 1/2 Great Plot and Resolution; Illustrations A MIxed Bag, September 19, 2007
The familiar confusion of the hippo and the rhino sets the action for "Hippo, Not Rhino," a clver but mixed bag of verbal and visual treats. A lowly zoo-keeper (not necessarily a union worker, nor a summer intern, as another reviewer surmised), places a "Hippo" sign in front of the Rhino enclosure, and walks off, whistling. (It's not clear whether this is an act of ignorance or mischief, my own assumption is that he simply doesn't know, but doesn't take the time to check either--the surprise conclusion offers more fodder for debate.)
Rhino certainly knows he's a rhino and not a hippo, and looks aghast at the sign. When two pairs of mostly unattractive people (what, for humorous effect? to show that people may look as strange as zoo animals?) walk by and, also ignorant, call the rhino a hippo--the rhino answers angrily. A nearly bald blue-face women wearing a gaudy purple and fruited (garlic?) hat accompanies a green-jacketed elderly man whose pants look like an artichoke. Above them are messy, purposefully ugly splotches of paint, as if their presumably ugly personalities have leak into the air above them. Natually, they get the treatment:
"Hippo" [the woman]
"No, Rhino" [turn the page]
"FIX the SIGN-O!" [a very angry rhino]
I mention the aesthetics of the "pencil, ink, marker, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, pastel, and cut paper" (from the publisher's information sheet preceeding the book) illustrations because consumers and potential readers may not enjoy Newman's persistant smudgy and garbaged-out illustrations. If you're a Ralph Steadman fan, or you liked Chris Raschka's pictures for Jules Feiffer's "The Hello, Goodbye Window," you're ready for these, but Steadman draws primarily for adults and Raschka's skilled atmospherics mesh well with the story's theme. There's sometimes unappetizing about this effort, as shown by what happens after the Rhino sends the first couple scurrying: After failing to move the sign with his tail, he hurls one of the two birds on his back at the sign. This doesn't work either, and the bird falls--slapstick-like--to the ground.
A second, younger couple arrives, a pleasant young woman, and a young man who might be every father's nightmare. With his green face and fingers (the latter resemble a reptile), and looking like an older "Pigpen" with his dirt kicking around his bell bottoms, he coos "...HIPPOOO." In sequence sure to draw laughs, the Rhino quietly replies, "Nooo...Rhinooo. [turn the page], then yells,"THAT's NOT MINE-O!," motioning towards the offending sign. Finally, one helpful, familiar sort of boy (although he's wearing dayglo yellow-green clothing; there goes my theory of the colors expressing personalities!), who obviosuly paid attention during school, helpfully changes the sign, and the blue rhino finally smiles, the pages look cleaner, the two birds sleep peacefully on top, perhaps even the lion sleeps tonight...
Except, over at another part of the zoo, an annoyed purple hippo (not a rhino) glares at a new sign--left by that same whistling same staffer-- pointing at him unforgiveingly: "Porcupino-O." It's a glorious finishing touch that adds some needed cohesion and good-natured fun.
I imagine that this book that will be admired by adults more than it is liked by small kids. The imagery is clever, but it can be confusing as well (e.g., a through-the-viewfinder picture of the rhino, the profiles of the visitors including a decapitated profile of blue-faced woman's head, the overall artistically skilled but unappealing grundge sensibility). The motivation of the sign misplacer is confusing as well. Perhaps the best element of this story is the one that's not entirely told--what other confusions and person/angry animal confrontations will the misplaced signs leave in their wake. Of course, that's the story you may want to talk about with your young audience, and that stimulation may be the best thing about this imaginative but mixed collection of comedy and humorous melodrama.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Work of Art!, November 9, 2006
This is a beautiful picture book, richly illustrated by Newman, who lets his artwork tell the story of a rhino suffering from mistaken identity. Newman's colorful and expressive characters are not only fun, they guide the reader smoothly through his touching tale, allowing the reader to sympathize with poor rhino and cheer for the little hero who may help him. Add this book to your child's library and it will remain a favorite -- a perfect example of how art (and just a handful of words) is used to express feelings and experiences.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great picture book, October 13, 2006
This book is filled with great pictures for kids just reading to too young to read for themselves. The story is told through the pictures, so it is fun and easy for them to follow along. Our son really loves us to read it to him, and I highly recommend it as a first book.
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