Hippopotamus dancing and other poems Book

I remember this poem from my childhood, but it was not one of my favorites. However, this edition makes it shine. The story within the story really makes it work. There’s also sheet music included in the front of the book, composed by Douglas Colby.

Turning this poem into a part of a story about two children and their imaginative play, or fantasy land, however the reader wants to interpret it, makes it so much fun, and less weird. Frankly, it is a bit of a strange poem when it’s put out there on its own.

The illustrations are spectacular. They’re intricate and engaging and really help tell the story. There are many amusing and sweet touches. [Hilary Knight:], who illustrated the [Eloise:] books, and whose work I’ve always enjoyed, does a magnificent job here, and his art style in this book seems somewhat different from other art by him that I’ve seen. It’s easy to spend a lot of time looking at all the pictures; readers are likely to notice something new with each viewing.

Delightful. Thanks to Goodreads friend Chandra who alerted me to this book. Her review of it () is wonderful and well worth reading, and it convinced me to read the book.