THREE CHEERS FOR HIPPO!
This is the final of three easy readers done in this particular format at Harper. (The other two are HOORAY FOR SNAIL! and SNAIL SAVES THE DAY!). This was the first of the three that was painted in full color, as opposed to pre-separated art. I was delighted with that! It saved tons of time and was technically so much easier than figuring out color percentages in grey tone.
Unfortunately, all of the art was lost and I had to redo the whole book in a month to make the pub date. So much for saved time and ease...
The title is now available in a Starbright Books paperback edition.
Reviews:
*IRA/CBC CHILDREN'S CHOICE BOOK
"Lively illustrations and full of excitement, yet easy to read."
*Children's Choice*
"The simple, funny, one-joke story unfolds through dialogue balloons, often only one word long. Appearing like captions in silent movies is additional information that sets the scene ("The swamp is below."), relates the emotion ("They are nervous.") or explains the action ("The table shakes."). Vivid colors and use of exaggerated comedy add to the feeling of old-time flicks, making this story a good choice for those beginning to read. The close relation between the action and the commentary will give lots of hints for troubled readers."
*ALA Booklist*
"...a simple and humorous easy-reading adventure... will please and engage beginning readers."
*Publishers Weekly