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14th out of 78 books
—
132 voters
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships
How to Clean a Hippopotamus, a book about animal symbiosis, offers readers a close-up, step-by-step view of nature’s fascinating partnerships. Find out why a mongoose comes running when a warthog lies down, how a crab and an iguana help each other out, why ravens follow wolves, and more. Witness the ingenious lifestyles of some of the world’s most unusual animal partners i...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
May 3rd 2010
by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(first published 2010)
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Another great Steve Jenkins animal book for older students, this one is set up in something of a graphic novel format with information and illustrations presented in boxes. Various symbiotic relationships in the animal kingdom are presented. This is the second Jenkins' book I've read that he's written with Robin Page (the other was What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?). It's fun that they describe their collaboration as symbiotic. There is a lot of information presented here, but splitting it u...more
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This book about animal partnerships is a fun introduction to nonfiction graphic literature. As an adult, I liked this book a lot but decided to try it out on a real kid. I read this book with my 5 year old nephew. He was so excited, “We are reading a comic book just like Dad does!” He is still a pre-reader so much of my responsibility fell into reading the words out loud while he told me about the pictures.
From this experience I realized that the illustrations told the story well enough that h...more
From this experience I realized that the illustrations told the story well enough that h...more
Another great book from Steve Jenkins (and his wife, Robin Page, although I am less familiar with her). This one discusses some interesting symbiotic (yes, that word is used in the book) relationships between animals, specifically relationships in which both animals benefit. Some of these animal partnerships were familiar to me, but many were not - there were even some that I had thought I knew about, but learned that I didn't quite understand what was going on. And the partnerships are all so i...more
A fascinating tour through symbiotic relationships in the animal kingdom, this book uses comic book frames and short text bubbles to become incredibly appealing to reluctant readers. Filled with Jenkins’ paperwork illustrations that offer clarity beyond that of photographs, this book is a visual treat. It is also filled with interesting facts, and is sure to surprise even the most informed reader with several of the relationships inside. Journey through symbiotic relationships where one animal c...more
Intricate and colorful torn paper collages illustrate the fascinating symbiotic (mutualistic) relationships between various animals and organisms. Their stories are told in comic book/graphic novel-like panels, describing the nature of the relationship and how it benefits each animal. Even if you know something about symbiosis, this book really brings it to life – from cleaner birds and fish that risk their lives removing parasites from otherwise deadly predators to interspecies hunting teams (b...more
Once again, the brilliant duo of Jenkins and Page have created a winning nonfiction picture book. This time they tackle the subject of symbiosis in the animal kingdom. As usual, the eye-catching collages of cut and torn paper grab the reader’s attention. The book’s design using separate panels helps keep the information organized. The selection of animals includes well-known collaborators like the remora and tiger shark as well as lesser-known partners such as the mongoose and warthog. Often, th...more
Jun 12, 2010
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
8-12 year olds interested in nature & animals; 4-8 year olds can enjoy this at a reduced level
This is an absolutely superb book about animal symbiosis. I learned so much. The information is given in a fascinating manner. The illustrations are outstanding.
This “symbiotic collaboration” between Steve Jenkins and Robin Page is just terrific.
The (collage?) illustrations are gorgeous, educational, and riveting.
The information is so interesting. I learned a lot. In fact, I knew very little of the details contained in this book. As I was reading, I couldn’t help thinking that this is one more w...more
This “symbiotic collaboration” between Steve Jenkins and Robin Page is just terrific.
The (collage?) illustrations are gorgeous, educational, and riveting.
The information is so interesting. I learned a lot. In fact, I knew very little of the details contained in this book. As I was reading, I couldn’t help thinking that this is one more w...more
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This is a wonderful example of the non-fiction that is currently being published for children. It takes a topic most kids know very little about - symbiosis - and makes it both fun and interesting. Steve Jenkins explains the symbiotic relationships of animals and insects, both familiar and exotic, in a way that kids will understand. At the back of the book, he gives further details about each animal (size, habitat and diet), and he also added titles for further reading. The illustrations are ver...more
How does a Nile crocodile keep its teeth clean? How does the sunfish care for its worm infested skin? How does the honeyguide bird break into a bees’ nest? They have partners! Using cut-paper art and a graphic-novel format, Jenkins and Page bring to life the unexpected beneficial relationships between various animals. Less familiar facts are included about well-known partnerships. For example, a clownfish slowly develops resistance to a sea anemone by brushing lightly against the stinging tentac...more
Symbiosis, the animal world equivalent to “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch your back”, is just too cool! How to Clean a Hippopotamus is a great introduction (age 6 and up) to many fascinating animal partnerships that both kids and adults will enjoy learning from. As you flip through pages of colorful cut paper illustrations you will learn about a nutty bird that happily cleans the teeth of crocodiles, a protective ant colony that safeguards the eggs of predatory birds, and a fish that acts as...more
This is a non-fiction picture book about the symbiotic relationships between certain pairs of animals. The attractive paper art by Robin Page and the graphic novel layout make this book entertaining as well as informative. At the back of the book is area further explaining symbiosis. The animals featured in the book are also identified by name, size, habitat, and diet.
This book is ideal for: elementary school students with animal research, animal buffs, reluctant older readers, and to explain a...more
This book is ideal for: elementary school students with animal research, animal buffs, reluctant older readers, and to explain a...more
Not only did this book cover a unique topic that I think is often overlooked, but it did so in a way that showed all kinds of unique animals. The illustrations were done in a way that was not "real life" but it also allowed the illustrator to show emotion on some of the animals. There was multiple areas of content on each page and the layout was not as linear which I think worked because the topic was the same throughout. I think you could very easily make a connection about how students interac...more
I think I found about about this in last months Book Page and when I saw it was the same author who did What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? I knew we had to get it. Julia has loved that book for so long and we still read it on a regular basis.
This is definitely as different as it is similar to her favorite Jenkins book. They're both oh so informative - even for an adult - but this is much more detailed. A detail-oriented kid, like mine, will adore it. I learned more than a few new facts mysel...more
This is definitely as different as it is similar to her favorite Jenkins book. They're both oh so informative - even for an adult - but this is much more detailed. A detail-oriented kid, like mine, will adore it. I learned more than a few new facts mysel...more
Another fabulous book by Steve Jenkins all about unique animal behaviors - this time about symbiotic relationships. This one features his signature cut paper illustrations, but with a slight twist in that the layout is more like a graphic novel and it works very well. Highly, highly recommended - along with pretty much every other book he's written and/or illustrated.
My favorites (to name just a few):
Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember
Prehistoric Actual Size
Down,...more
My favorites (to name just a few):
Never Smile at a Monkey: And 17 Other Important Things to Remember
Prehistoric Actual Size
Down,...more
I don’t remember when I first learned that certain animals who would ordinarily be enemies have evolved to help each other, perhaps when I first read an old picture book titled Bill and Pete by Tomi DePaola about an alligator and his “trusty toothbrush”, otherwise known as a plover. This book is crammed with example after example of those unlikely pairings. Arranged in cells, rather like a comic, using the narrative style to relay the information.
This book is kind of organized in a strange form. It is set up comic-strip style. It is about the symbiotic relationship between many different animals. But it is very informative and interesting. It has a lot of less-known facts about animals and their relationships. It would have been nice to have real photographs. It is a very fascinating book. At the end it has facts about all the animals and plants mentioned.
Another favorite by Steve Jenkins! How to Clean a Hippopotamus will engage kids of all ages as it shares a picture of symbiotic relationships over time. The different perspectives of the animals in each relationship helped me see how they depend on each other for support. The graphic novel format worked perfectly for me to follow the information and the added tidbits throughout completed the picture.
Aug 12, 2010
Sarah
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Sarah by:
Library Sparks journal
Shelves:
nonfiction
This is a cute book! Not only are the pictures adorable, but the information provided is interesting.
The information is presented in an almost comic book format, which is different for a nonfiction book. We learn about animal symbiosis--how certain wild animals/insects/fish/etc. work together to eat, get clean, hunt, and more.
Only 32 pages, it is a quick read!
The information is presented in an almost comic book format, which is different for a nonfiction book. We learn about animal symbiosis--how certain wild animals/insects/fish/etc. work together to eat, get clean, hunt, and more.
Only 32 pages, it is a quick read!
The illustrations for this book were fantastic. I loved how they made collages with different materials that still looked like actual photos of the animals. There was a lot of neat relationships in this book and I thought it did a good job of being educational without being boring. In fact, I wasn't bored at all, and I learned several things that I didn't know after reading this book. I'd definitely recommend.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
I loved the text on this book - fascinating stuff. I'd have given this five stars but the layout put me off a bit. Each picture is just a bit small so I had to pull the book close to examine it and the overall effect is rather busy. I'm going to give this to my grandsons tomorrow and see what they think. It is definitely a single-reader book.
More spectacular collage illustrations by Jenkins and loaded with fascinating, accessible information about the symbiotic relationships between many animals. The pages are a bit chaotic in that there are multiple images and panels on each page. This lends itself to a sit and explore type of reading than a good read aloud book.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus explores the unusual partnerships of animals. Why they need each other to survive etc. Has lots of colorful photos of each animal and gives facts about each. Kind of gives a bit of a story about each animal so its easier to understand for children. Could be considered more picture book but can also be a fact book about animals.
This was an interesting read. Allows children to learn about many animal partnerships in nature. Includes A LOT of vocabulary for children to learn about. The back includes more information about symbiosis and the size, habitat, and diet of all the animals throughout the book.
*Book from text
*Book from text
This is a great nonfiction book for grade school age kids. The pictures are all collage/cut paper illustrations which are beautifully rendered. In panels, like a graphic novel, each two page spread shows 2 or 3 different symbiotic animal relationships and explains how both parties benefit.
Set up a little like a graphic novel, this book looks at a variety of symbiotic relationships in the animal world. The headings/titles are very clever, and there are nice examples of transitions in this book that show how to link ideas on a variety of topics to get a nice flow.
What does a water buffalo see in an egret? Why would a badger want a coyote for company? What makes a horse mackerel think he can hang around with a Portugese man-of-war---and live to tell about it? Find out about these unlikely partnerships and more in this book.
This book shows the partnership between different animals. A very interesting book. The illustrations are also really good. This would be a good book for children to read to show how different animals work together and help one another out when needed.
Steve Jenkins, as usual, does a beautiful job explaining the wonders of the natural world. I especially like this book because the varied example are very clear and the graphic novel feel is innovative and fresh. Highly recommended for grades 2 - 4.
A close-up view of symbiosis, nature’s most fascinating and ingenious partnerships. I learned a lot from this book about how different animals have learned to work together to mutual benefit. Plus---Steve Jenkins gorgeous cut-paper illustrations!
The cut-paper collage illustrations are laid out in comic-like panels, a layout that I found very appealing. And it's amazing how much information the authors were able to cram into a slim book (without it being overwhelming). Sections at the back of the book give additional information about symbiotic relationships and about the animals pictured (such as where they live, what they eat, etc.).
Blogged - http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2010/...
Blogged - http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2010/...
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