I Had a Hippopotamus

By Hector Viveros Lee

Book Overview

A box of animal crackers inspires a Mexican American boy to imagine what he would do with an eclectic array of creatures.

What would you do if you had a hippopotamus?
Or a kangaroo? Or a crocodile?

This sturdy board book is designed to celebrate the joy of sharing, unleash the imaginations of children, and delight young readers and listeners again and again. In it, Uncle gets the melodious coyote, best friend gets the speedy jaguar, and the lucky girl next door gets the reluctant wart hog. Best of all is the surprise that's left when the box is empty

Inspired by his classroom experiences, the author, a teacher and artist, offers a cheerful, engaging way for children to interact imaginatively with animals while learning about their diverse habitats. At the same time, I Had a Hippopotamus provides positive, authentic images of a contemporary Latino family.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1880000628
• ISBN13: 9781880000625
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 10.0" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 3 to 6 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 1

Customer Reviews

one of my 13 month old's favorites...

My daughter adores this story about a little boy who shares his animal crackers with his friends and family. The illustrations are clear and engaging and introduce a wide variety of animals to your child. (How many toddlers can identify a pangolin?) Frankly, I don't know why this book hasn't been a bigger hit in the toddler market. It is a fabulous book for kids.

Quality in a Spanish Children's Book

So many children's book read like translations, but here is one that is fun, creative, and reads like someone wrote it in Spanish. Even in Spanish speaking countries it is hard to fine books for children, especially children under five, that are not translations from other languages.YO TENIA UN HIPOPOTAMO has my two and a half year old squealing for joy as the boy in the story gives away different animals to family and freinds, and in the process learns some great vocabulary. The illustrations are also fun. This is a book that will hold a childs interest whether they be 1 1/2 or 4.

What a beautiful book! (Un qué libro hermoso!)

Nuestro hijo tiene este libro, y es uno de sus preferidos. Puede ser difícil encontrar un libro de los niños de la calidad en español y por un autor de habla hispana cuando usted está en un país de discurso no-español, pero usted encontrará uno en este título. Además, las ilustraciones son muy hermosas mirar, y el texto introduce no solamente muchos diversos animales, pero también muchas diversas palabras españolas para las relaciones (vecino, abuela, primo, etc).Dos pulgares para arriba (y cinco estrellas)!