But Not the Hippopotamus (Boynton on Board)

 (111 customer reviews)

This is probably my favorite baby-age book of all time. Like the other Boynton books, it is easy to handle (the board pages are quite tough), very brightly illustrated with the most delightful drawings (imagine a hippopotamus hiding behind a tree!), and features a simple but wonderful story.It seems that all the animals have wonderful things to do, and they scamper off to do them on every page...But Not the Hippopotamus!!! (a phrase repeated at the end of each page, to young children's delight). But then, something wonderful happens. The happy hippo is invited to join the others! And off he runs, full of joy.But Not the Armadillo! And the very last page, the most nonsensical nonsequitor of all, is a lonely looking armadillo standing all alone. And hence the "amhoho." When my daughter was just over a year old, she began to talk about the "amhoho." When given her first push-toy, a brightly colored bumble bee, she squealed, "It's the amhoho!"I don't know how long it took us to...Read more

This is one of my favorite books to read to my son now 11 months. The ryming flow of the story gives this book it's good rythm. The author does a good job of keeping the story simple with a nice ryming flow that is not over done. It holds the adults attention as well as the childs. There are just enough words per page as my son looks at the pictures and turns the pages while I am reading to him. I have the board book and highly recommend this type of book. It encouranges interaction from the child allowing them to turn the pages and look at the pictures without tearing the pages. I have found that my son is quite interested most of Boynton's books. I have read to him from a very early age and he will often pick up her books and page through them and bring them over to me to read them to him. Boynton's books were recommended to me at a hospital sponsored child education class and I highly recommend them to you. They make great gifts.

We like to read this book quite a bit. I've got it memorized (but that's not all that hard). The illustrations are the fat, sweet frogs, hippos, cats, etc. you know from Boynton's other books. This storyline encourages kids to join in and have fun rather than sitting out and feeling sad about it. I don't feel like it encourages this at the risk of damaging sensitive quiet types. Rather, I think it helps kids who look on and wish they could join in but just don't.

The rhyme is great and easy on your sanity. The kids like the pictures (moose and goose at a restaurant?). The book's fun, interesting, readable (even repeatedly), and carries a good message for kids.