Hippospotamus

Hippopotamus had a spotamus on her bottomus!  ‘It’s measles!’ said Weasel. ‘It’s Hippopox!’ said Fox. ‘It’s jungle fever!’ said Beaver. What a romp of a book, the work of a dream-team writer and illustrator. It is such a wonderful read-aloud, one that small children ITCH to get their hands on, to try it out for themselves. The rhyming text, as ever with Willis, fairly zings along, with an added attraction for the reader/listener in all the made-up words. Poor Potamus got hotamus, grumpimus and grotamus and still she had the spotamus. Everyone in the jungle tries to diagnose this red spot, with Hippo trying out each suggestion to remove it, but no-one can do so. Even Doc Croc fails, with a needle in her bottomus, despite his perfect shotamus. No more her sister, declaring the spot a BLISTER, and in the picture sister dances in, pliers held aloft! One can imagine Ross’ glee as he illustrated each scene. Wonderful for drama in the classroom. To relish and share the delight of the final hilarious twist in the tale… get the book asap!