Hippobottymus
Steve Smallman and Ada Grey
Little Tiger Press pbk
There’s a pleasing circularity to this rhyming tale; and not just because of the bubbles – or maybe it is, on second thoughts. It all begins with a little mouse and a bubbling creek. Then, during the course of the performance – for that is essentially what the book is all about (though that too is arguable), add to the squeaks (mouse’s) and the bubbles (the creek’s), a tweet (a bird’s), Centipede’s beat ‘Tip-tap-a-tippy-tappy’,

a ‘Woo-hoo! courtesy of Monkey, a big bass drum (Warthog’s bum) and the PLINK PLINK PLINK-A-PLONK! – of a bone along Crocodile’s teeth.

The result? Music to dance the day away for sure; and with so many contributors to the band too. But there is another animal as yet to be announced as contributor to the cacophony. No, it’s not that small rodent basking there in reflected glory.

Why is Hippo claiming credit? Let’s just say, his involuntary bubbling contribution to the whole caboodle came courtesy of his erstwhile bean feast: ‘ TRUMP-PARP-bubble-bubble! TRUMP-PARP-POP!’
What a hoot – or should that be, toot?!
This daring duet from Smallman and Grey is surely destined to become a firm favourite among early years audiences who will definitely demand repeat performances and may well want to orchestrate the whole thing themselves – BEWARE! You didn’t hear that from me …

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