Big Little Hippo - Hardcover

Valeri Gorbachev emigrated from his native Ukraine to the US in 1991, and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. He has written and/or illustrated more than 50 children's books, including Sterling’s Rufus Goes to School and Rufus Goes to Sea, written by Kim T. Griswell, and Turtle's Penguin Day and The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning (both Knopf).

PreS-Gr 1—Little Hippo can't wait to grow up. Everyone in his family is bigger and older than he is. All of the animals who live nearby, from old Crocodile to Elephant, are MUCH bigger than Little Hippo. Little Hippo can't even walk underneath the trees or through the grasses without feeling incredibly small. And then one day, Little Hippo gains a new perspective. He sees a tiny beetle who is stuck on his back and gently rolls him over. When the beetle's family thanks him and calls him "Big Hippo," Little Hippo feels incredibly empowered by the praise and his deed. When he shares his success, his family dubs him "Big Little Hippo," and he enjoys a wonderful feeling of contentedness. This sweet story contains a certain amount of predictability and repetition, which young children will appreciate, and Little Hippo is quite adorable, with expressive eyes and a joyful smile after his good deed. Fine black ink lines add texture and contrast to the predominantly green, brown, and yellow tones used in the book. VERDICT A great selection to share with young children to show them that they are "bigger" than they believe and that their actions, big and small, do matter.—Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, Hillsborough, CA