When you think of super-strength, X-Ray vision, the ability to fly and leap tall buildings with a single...er...bounce, you don't really picture a hippopotamus do you? Well Kes Gray and Nikki Dyson aim to change all that with their latest picture book collaboration, the superb "Zippo the Super Hippo".
Zippo and his best friend Roxi hang out together at the local watering hole. Zippo seems a bit downcast because he thinks he's pretty ordinary. Other animals all seem to have amazing powers, to run really fast or like Roxi, to fly through the air but what on earth is a hippo any good at?
With Roxi's encouragement and a snazzy super-hero cape, it's time for Zippo to bust a few spectacular moves. But after a few rather nasty incidents, it's clear that Zippo is certainly very good at busting something (you can't help but giggle as Zippo's outlandishly colossal bot crushes a croc, cripples a rhino and puts a poor lion in traction.
Perhaps it's up to Roxi to be an awesome friend, and point out that having a big butt might be super and heroic and the ultimate weapon for defeating bad guys with!
"Zippo the Super Hippo" is glorious stuff, full of energy and a cracking pace. We love Kes's gags and we especially love Nikki's fantastic art style, reminiscent of awesome Warner Bros cartoons like Wile E Coyote as Zippo sails through the air and lands with a crump!
Charlotte's favourite bit: A huge splashdown on an unsuspecting crocodile. OOOCH!
Daddy's favourite bit: This titanic team up make storytelling look easy and slick, this book is utterly brill! BLAM!
(Kindly sent to us for review by Nikki / Macmillan Children's Books)
"Zippo the Super Hippo"
Written by Kes Gray
Illustrated by Nikki Dyson
Published by Macmillan Children's Books
Release Date (Paperback): 16th July 2015.