Little Hippo Gets Glasses - Hardcover

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- Lewis's terse, simple narrative should spark lively discussions about the when and why of work and play. A Border collie leaves the city to herd sheep for her former master's son, and she misses playing ball with children in the park. While working the sheep, she becomes sidetracked by the farmer's children's soccer game, allowing the herd to wander. Severely scolded, Floss ultimately proves her worth. The book's excellence lies more in the richly textured English landscapes than in the text. Lewis contrasts the vibrant dog and children against the stark, heather-covered hills, laying out her work like a treasured family photo album. Through insightful perspectives, readers watch Floss's devotion to the old man transferred to his son. They will also feel her frustration with disciplined work when play is at hand, her shame when scolded, and her unleashed exuberance when fun is finally allowed. A veritable armchair tour through the mountainous wilds of northern England and its working sheep farms. --Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent Sch . District, TX MacDONALD, Maryann. Little Hippo Gets Glasses. illus. by Anna King. unpaged. CIP. Dial. Apr. 1992. Tr $11. ISBN 0-8037-0964-1 . LC 91-11971. PreSchool-Grade 2-- When Little Hippo is once again discovered sitting too close to the TV set, his mother decides that it's time to see the eye doctor. As fate would dictate, glasses are needed, but Little Hippo is determined not to be seen wearing them--until curly-lashed Sophie, who sits next to him at school, asks for help reading the first spelling word on the blackboard. Little Hippo saves the day by putting on his new red glasses and telling her the word. Sophie shyly pulls out her new green glasses. Empathetic friendship blossoms, and together they discover that wearing glasses isn't ``silly'' after all. The bright, cheery cartoons are eye-openers from beginning to end and, coupled with the reassuring text, provide fine picture-book fare for those youngsters in need of just such a story. The minimal text is within the reading range of the intended age group. Additionally, the story is a good read-aloud for those older elementary students who are called upon to read to younger grades. Add this to other titles on the subject such as Marc Brown's Arthur's Eyes (Little, 1979), Tricia Tusa's Libby's New Glasses (Holiday, 1984; o.p.), and Patricia Reilly Giff's Watch Out, Ronald Morgan (Viking, 1985). Clearly, a good purchase. --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.