I've Lost My Hippopotamus [Hardcover]

Jack Prelutsky (Author), Jackie Urbanovic (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: March 13, 2012 | Age Range: 6 - 10 years

Some of the animals in this book are real. They include:

• the hippopotamus (she's missing)
• the elephant (he's artistically talented)
• the octopus (it's great at multitasking).

Others may not be quite so real. These include:

• the wiguana (very hairy, for a lizard)
• the halibutterfly (there's something fishy about it)
• the gludu (quite clingy).

In the tradition of Jack Prelutsky's classic poetry collections The New Kid on the Block, It's Raining Pigs & Noodles, and A Pizza the Size of the Sun, here is a book packed with more than 100 funny poems and silly pictures. Most of the poems are about animals—some are big and some are small, some have unusual interests, and some are just plain unusual.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Prelutsky presents more than 100 humorous poems in loose groupings, brought to buoyant life by Urbanovic’s lively pen-and-ink gestures. Though uniformly and squarely aimed at the elementary-school funny bone, the poems represent a wide variety of form and style. Some, like “The Pelicantaloupes” and “The Appleopards,” imagine an unlikely cross between an animal and a fruit and come accompanied by pronunciation assistance. Others find silliness in everyday circumstance, while most veer toward the hilarious and totally unexpected (like “Shopping at a Dragon Store”). A few haiku find their way in, as do the odd limerick and concrete poem. Many share a common meter (think “Miss Lucy had a steamboat”), making them particularly well suited to be read, or chanted, aloud. Urbanovic’s cartoony black-and-white line drawings enjoy ample real estate, spreading across pages to reinforce the poetic puns. It’s easy to imagine this one being passed around the cafeteria or safely stored in a backpack. Grades 2-4. --Thom Barthelmess

Review

“Another winning choice for newcomers and fans alike.” (ALA Booklist )

“With her wildly expressive characters and expertly conveyed physical comedy… this is sure to be a read-aloud hit.” (ALA Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 10 years
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 13, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062014579
• ISBN-13: 978-0062014573
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,627 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #53 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Humorous

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful children's poetry for all ages June 15, 2012

By Simpson

Format:Hardcover

My three children and I happened across this book at the library and checked it out. After reading it several times, we decided to buy the book. It contains over a hundred clever and funny poems with creative illustrations to go along. (To the prior reviewer, yes, they are black-and-white illustrations, but I don't see that as a negative in any way. In fact, I like it better.) Some of the poems contain a few complex vocabulary words. I find exposing my kids to new vocabulary through poetry is an effective way to learn a few new words without much work. This book will be kept on the shelf next to our Shel Silverstein books (such as "Where the Sidewalk Ends") and enjoyed just as often.
It contains an index to the titles and first lines at the end of the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Our favorite poem book right now! August 22, 2012

By Fun Loving Mama

Format:Hardcover

I got this book a few months ago and I cannot recommend it highly enough. My 5,8 and 11 year old love this book too. I could tell from the first pages that this book is a treasure. First of all, we love poetry. Second of all, we love Dr. Seuss, and the poems do remind me of the style of Dr. Seuss a bit The author cleverly creates characters by combining things. For example, the poem we read this morning is called The Wiguanas and another called Spinachoo. They are extremely clever. Now thirdly, and not least importantly, the book is filled with wonderful vocabulary. This is one of the reasons I like it so much. The poems are fun to read and incorporate lots of great new vocabulary words. For example, the first poem that shares the books title has a line in there about some unsavory subterfuge. I love teaching my 5 and 8 year old what subterfuge is and then using the word in our everyday speech. How fun is that? We have already committed some to memory and the children argue over who is going to read the poems each morning. This morning they begged to read just one more. This book is precious. Do yourself a favor and get a copy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A hit as gift May 20, 2012

By Mrs. Beights

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gifted this to a niece and nephew and will have to purchase 2 more for granddaughters. Too bad the pictures are all black-and-white but poems are certainly a hit.