Hippopotamister

Hippopotamister
John Patrick Green

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1626722002
Publisher: First Second
Date of publication: May 10, 2016
Age: Grades K - 3
Genre: Graphic Novel

Themes: careers, zoos, hippopotamus, trying new things

The zoo isn't what it used to be. It's run down, and Hippo hardly ever gets any visitors. So he decides to set off for the outside with his friend Red Panda. To make it in the human world, Hippo will have to become a Hippopotamister: he'll have to act like a human, get a job, and wear a hat as a disguise. He's a good employee, whether he's a construction worker, a hair stylist, or a sous chef. But what he really needs is a job where he can be himself.

You know when a book ties in altogether perfectly by the end? That's what this did and it was so satisfying. The plot is really well done, with a good varied vocabulary for early readers. Plus, the illustrations are awesome, of course, being a graphic novel. Bonus! there's even a how-to section at the end for drawing the two main characters. I really liked this story.

However, the one small thing that bothered me a bit were the characters themselves. I wish the little red panda had owned up at the end or been more apologetic to Hippo about all the jobs he caused Hippo to lose. And Hippo was way too nice about it. So there wasn't a lot of depth there, which caused me some frustration. But hey, it is just a beginner book, so I can deal with it. So, really, overall I enjoyed this graphic novel and think a lot of young kids would enjoy it, too. Check it out!

Find it at your library or on Amazon