The Turtle and the Hippopotamus

By Kate Banks

A fresh twist on trust and friendship In this rebus book, a turtle won't swim across the river because she is afraid of the hippopotamus standing in the middle of it. She asks a bird, a grasshopper, some ants, and a possum what to do, but she still can't find the courage to cross to the delicious reeds on the other side until she makes a new friend. Playful art swings and loops around the page, moving the story forward. As they did inThe Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle, whichBooklist, in a starred review, called "a splendid collaboration between artist and writer," Kate Banks and Tomek Bogacki have created another delightful rebus book for readers and pre-readers to enjoy together.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374378851
• ISBN13: 9780374378851
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.8" x 0.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 3 years and up
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Be brave, little turtle!

The turtle lives by the side of a stream that has a large hippo living in it. But all the food is soon gone from the turtle's side of the stream. He can see some nice food growing on the other side of the stream, but he's afraid of crossing the stream because of the hippo. He talks to some birds and ants to try to figure out how to cross the stream without having to deal with the hippo. They all tell him to swim, but he's still afraid. Finally, he tries swinging across the stream on a vine like a monkey, but he falls into the stream. To his surprise, the hippo rescues him and helps him across. On each page, most of the content nouns are replaced with icons, so that non-readers can help "read" the story. The book has about 500 words.

a must for school and public libraries !

The combination of child-friendly picture-aided text, soft simple illustrations and a theme of critical thinking for problem solving make this children's book an instant classic!It teaches preschoolers how to be creative, while giving them ownership of the story's characters. Tomek Bogacki's use of color and texture in his illustrations give the book the flavor kids love! What else can you say about a Rebus Book! I only wish this were available in a "Big Book" edition, since it is a perfect choice for preschool story times!