How Do You Hide a Hippo? (Rebecca Grant, illus Jedda Robaard, Little Book Press)

Rebecca Grant’s How Do You Hide a Hippo? is a playful picture book that invites young readers to join a child’s increasingly silly attempts to conceal a hippo in unlikely places around the house. From under a small chair to behind the door and in the sink, each hiding spot is more improbable than the last – and every joyously unsuccessful attempt is more amusing. Grant’s rhyming text is occasionally clumsy but good fun, with lines such as, “Harry’s my pet but he needs to hide. Mum won’t like a hippo inside.” The repeated refrain of “How do you hide a hippo?” encourages further interaction and anticipation as the story unfolds. Jedda Robaard’s soft watercolour illustrations in pink, grey and blue subtly enhance the humour. Her expressive, light style playfully reveals and emphasises the hippo’s enormous size and the absurdity of each hiding place, enlivening each page as the text builds and sustains its pace, then reveals a clever twist. Satisfying and well-resolved, How Do You Hide a Hippo? exudes a freshness that lifts it above its simple plot. It is ideal for children aged 1 to 4 who enjoy the There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake series by Hazel Edwards and Deborah Niland.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Joy Lawn has worked for independent bookshops and blogs at Paperbark Words. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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