June 29, 2006

DT Bizarre Book Contest: Hippos Go Berserk

hippos_go_berserk.jpg

Title: Hippos Go Berserk
Author/Illustrator: Sandra Boynton
Reviewed by: Danielle

"One hippo, all alone, calls two hippos on the phone..."

Simple premise - Hippo is bored at home alone, wants to party. Makes a couple of calls.... ends up the hippos all go berserk then naff off home leaving him on his own again.

My daughter who's just turned 1 adores it, mainly due to the build up before the hippo's go berserk, rather that the anti-climax of them all leaving.

[Note: the DVD version, Hippos Gone Berserk: Spring Break, contains a lot of material which may not be suitable for young children. -ed.]

7 Comments

My son is 2.5 years old. This was his favorite book for quite some time. He loved when the hippos went berzerk! He too didn't really care for the after-party departures. To this day he remembers that one hippo, all alone, will call two hippos on the phone.

Our 16 month old daughter loves this book, too, but also loses interest after all of the hippos go berserk. Definitely among our favorites!

I dunno if this one really fits the criteria for the contest. It's a silly counting book about a bunch of silly hippos. Pretty normal and tame kids' book fare, really. I'm just sayin'!

My kid loved this book. I am sure this book was created in reference to a hippo being a lowly teenager, packing his/her parents house with drunk friends. (as we all did at one point) Yeah the boy goes crazy after they go berzerk but also enjoys seeing the different methods of transport they use to run from the cops, I mean, leave the house.

This was and still is my favorite book from childhood. You still can't beat it for rhyme, repetition, and early counting.

FROM MEMORY:

One hippo all alone
Calls two hippos on the phone
Three hippos at the door
Bring along another four
Five hippos come overdressed
Six hippos show up with a guest
Seven hippos arrive in a sack
Eight hippos sneak in the back
Nine hippos come to work
All the hippos go berserk!
All through the hippo night, hippos play with great delight
But at the hippo break of day, all hippos must go away
Nine hippos and a beast (the beast was the guest)
Join eight hippos riding east (in a blue bus)
Seven hippos moving west (in a western wagon)
Leave six hippos quite distressed (not clear how they get home)
Five hippos then set forth
With four hippos headed north (in a red helicopter)
Three hippos say good day
The last two hippos go their way
One hippo alone once more
Misses the other forty four

We bought the Dog Train CD/book for our kid, and frankly, it's a bit scary. And no, I'm not sorta agreeing with you on Boynton because you added me to your blogroll.

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