Hot Hippo

September 1, 1986
Warm-colored watercolors along with a starkly rhythmic text create an African atmosphere for this striking picture book. The same talented author/artist team that created Greedy Zebra! tells the tale of a hot hippo, who prefers to live in the water instead of on land. He turns to Ngai, god of Everything and Everywhere, but Ngai is inclined not to grant Hippo's wish, fearing he will eat all the fish (and bellowing, "I love my little fishes!''). When Hippo promises not to, Ngai consents under the condition that Hippo `` . . . come out of the water at night and eat grass . . . '' The happy hippo runs back, jumps in the water and sinks. He only knows how to run along the bottom holding his breath, and to this day that is what he doessurfacing now and then to tell Ngai he still keeps his promise. One question remains unanswered. How happy is Hippo down there?