But Not the Hippopotamus

This is our family's 3rd copy of this classic board book from Sandra Boynton...we literally read the others to death through our 5 (soon to be 6) children, so it was time to get a fresh copy. This adorable story is about a hippopotamus who watches life go by...everyone busy with social lives and activities that pointedly do not include her. Far be if from me to give a plot spoiler on this delightful 14 page board book, but it definitely leaves you with a tear jerking (ok..maybe it is only our 18 month old who fake cries and gives the character a sympathetic kiss?) ending that begs for a sequel. The illustrations are absolutely charming and the range of emotions this seemingly silly little rhyming store evokes is surprising! We always include this in our new baby gift baskets as it is a long time family favorite that the older kids never tire of reading to their siblings. **Odd note...somewhere along the line, the author changed a few words in this book and, for those of us who had completely memorized the original text, it was mildly annoying... lol She did the same thing with another one of our favorites The Going-To-Bed Book . For a million years I knew it forward and backward... then we ordered updated copies and I was tripping over my tongue to learn the new phrases. (Yes, ask my children...I am at least a million years old.)

I got this and read it to my now 40 year old daughter and my next 3 children as well. I got this for my granddaughter because it is my favorite book of all time. The rhymes are great and teach children how to rhyme which is an important skill for kindergarten readiness. The language flows and the pictures are so cute! It's a m6st buy for me.

This is a great lap book to share with toddlers and pre-readers. It is a patterned book that allows a youngster to begin to "read" along. The story is silly and has a great punchline. Your young one will love it!

Love all of Sarah Boynton’s books! Cute, original, and great cadence to the text.

This book is the one I always give at baby showers. It was/is an ultimate favorite for both my kids when they were anywhere from 6 months to 3 years. It is repetitive enough that they can share in the reading, and not boring in any way, and has the greatest ending that can be read with great enthusiasm. I've read this book probably realistically 500 times in the past 4 years. Maybe 800. And never get tired of it and neither do the kids, which is an amazing feat. We have so many books thanks to garage sales, library book sales, and this one stands out. Highly recommend. Oh also, the best Boynton book by far. Go for her older rather than new releases.

I'm now buying this for grandchildren and grandnieces/nephews. My children loved this book when they were little and still remember reading it. They now read it to their children! It's silly, and the kids love that, repeating "but not the hippopotamus" as we read it. I've purchased this for baby showers, and I think it's good for toddlers too. Short, colorful, silly, it engages them.

We love board books... they are a wonderful introduction to reading for infants and toddlers. My 4 star rating has more to do with a change in the wording on the first page than anything else - the original reads "A hog and a dog do a dance in a bog..." this new one reads "cavort in a bog" - I can appreciate expanding one's vocabulary, but how many little ones understand "cavort"? Wondering why the change in wording, and very much prefer the original. Otherwise, it is the same well written book that we've had to replace with each of our young children because it is so well loved... board books are intended for the less-than-gentle book handling of little hands so they aren't expected to last forever, but these do a good job of holding up to one or two littles before needing to be replaced. Sticky fingers touched the page? No problem, a lightly damp cloth will wipe off the page without ruining the book, unlike regular paper pages. Simple and easy. Now who with little ones doesn't like simple and easy?? This has long been a favorite toddler story in our household, though it's a tough call to decide which of Sandra Boynton's books are the best, because quite frankly, they are all good!

Can’t go wrong with ANY Sandra Boynton book. Stories & illustrations make reading time fun & entertaining. These books wear well, too. We gave several we bought for our children and have now added new ones for our grandchildren.

A must have book for toddlers where a shy hippo makes a big impact.

Great book! All of Boynton's books that we have are great (and we have a few of them). The text and the illustrations are great! My kids ask us to read them every evening! =)

I love blue hare more

My kids loved it, my grand nephew's love it, I loved reading it. Delightful illustrations.

Boynton's writing and illustrations make adults smile and little ones love her books. Truly uplifting ... my children remember me reading them to them and now we are reading them to their children. Very special.