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The Hiccupotamus
HIC! HIC! HIC! What's worse than a chronic case of the hiccups? How about a HIPPO with a chronic case of the hiccups? Is there any cure, or are those hiccups doomed to stay?
Vibrant illustrations, spirited text, and unforgettable characters unite in this exciting debut work from talented author/illustrator Aaron Zenz.
Vibrant illustrations, spirited text, and unforgettable characters unite in this exciting debut work from talented author/illustrator Aaron Zenz.
Paperback
First published August 1, 2005
3431 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Zenz
39 books58 followersAaron Zenz is the author and illustrator of The Hiccupotamus. He is the illustrator of 9 additional children's books as well.
Aaron lives in West Michigan. In addition to writing and illustrating, he also frequently visits schools and libraries where he inspires kids to read and write through fun, interactive programs."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 523 reviews
May 30, 2024
A Great Sense of Humor!
Aaron Zenz has a great sense of humor which he displays grandly when writing this book.
A hippopotamus is the Hiccupotamus and he is hiccuping all over the place. He has blundered all over his friends and that is making them furious.
They are so very tired of his actions that they look for solutions or something to help him out and get rid of those hiccups before he drives everyone crazy.
So they are searching for a way to hit pay dirt on their own and there is nobody else to help them. So they are trying to research ways that they can resolve this issue without having a hissy fit.
I’m just not going anywhere without the ending laid out in front of me because I don’t want to miss something. And I’m not going to do that.
I’m just gonna see if they have found anything from their looking around at the books and notes. Has he, Aaron Zenz? Has his friends found something that will happen to help him?
I surely suspect that his friends will help him find a way out, and soon.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
Aaron Zenz has a great sense of humor which he displays grandly when writing this book.
A hippopotamus is the Hiccupotamus and he is hiccuping all over the place. He has blundered all over his friends and that is making them furious.
They are so very tired of his actions that they look for solutions or something to help him out and get rid of those hiccups before he drives everyone crazy.
So they are searching for a way to hit pay dirt on their own and there is nobody else to help them. So they are trying to research ways that they can resolve this issue without having a hissy fit.
I’m just not going anywhere without the ending laid out in front of me because I don’t want to miss something. And I’m not going to do that.
I’m just gonna see if they have found anything from their looking around at the books and notes. Has he, Aaron Zenz? Has his friends found something that will happen to help him?
I surely suspect that his friends will help him find a way out, and soon.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
November 16, 2022
EH…silly but my kids weren’t sure what to think.
I read this to my 4 year old…she just looked at me and was like…”He had hiccups?” It was a lot for little kids to decipher the silly words.
*Not a good kindle book…very disjointed reading experience.
I read this to my 4 year old…she just looked at me and was like…”He had hiccups?” It was a lot for little kids to decipher the silly words.
*Not a good kindle book…very disjointed reading experience.
November 4, 2013
The Hiccupotamus is a fun, imaginative story. Many of the rhyming words are made-up, so it might be hard for younger kids to read, but my grandson loved listening to me read it.
The illustrations are colorful and cute!
The illustrations are colorful and cute!
April 28, 2015
So deliciously clever, witty, and funny. A truly delightful read!
October 25, 2020
Whenever I get hiccups, they are loud and last forever. This book is fun to read because it’s full of nonsense words that rhyme and also....vindication. The whole book everyone makes the hippopotamus feel bad for having hiccups and then they all get them at the end! Mwa ha ha!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2018
Kids are going to love this hippo and his *hic* rhymes.
Parts were funny but it got tiring after awhile..... perfect for children.
Parts were funny but it got tiring after awhile..... perfect for children.
October 20, 2022
Hippo has a frustrating disturbance in his day-to-day life: hiccups! He enlists the help of friends like rhinoceros, elephant, centipede and buffalo to scare, shimmy and shake them out of him. Try not to catch a case of the hiccups from laughing aloud at the hijinks throughout Zenz’s bright, rip-roaring rhyming book.
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
Check this book out at the Villa Park Public Library!
March 7, 2019
such a great read, so cool. illustrations are amazing. what great art work ...and sweet read. i love kid reads .. they are great for adults too ... make u feel young again. happy. cheerful ... and maybe u know a kid who needs some fun. newbie author to me
March 9, 2023
This book was simply adorable. The illusions were so cute. The colors of each page was calming and the rhyming was adorable.a great book when you want something to make you feel great
October 1, 2020
NEWTS Readathon
Career: Magizoologist
Subject: Charms
Prompt: Cheering Charm-read a humorous book
Grade: A, Acceptable
Career: Magizoologist
Subject: Charms
Prompt: Cheering Charm-read a humorous book
Grade: A, Acceptable
December 28, 2019
This book is super cute from the illustrations to the rhymes. I look forward to reading this book to my grandson.
June 23, 2014
This book is so cute! It reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book because of the silly made up words and rhyming! The pictures were very appealing and it's just such a great book that preschoolers and kindergarteners would love!
December 25, 2015
Very cute illustrations and flows well as a read-aloud.
January 10, 2016
Love, love, love this book. I challenge anyone to read it without laughing out loud. The illustrations are very cute too.
January 4, 2020
Hiccupotamazing
Hippos are my favorite animal so when this popped up on my Kindle Unlimited, I decided to check it out even though I have no kids. It was just the pick me up I needed! The last pages are a hilarious addon for adults, too.
It was so unique and I loved it so much I'm buying it for every kid I know.
Hippos are my favorite animal so when this popped up on my Kindle Unlimited, I decided to check it out even though I have no kids. It was just the pick me up I needed! The last pages are a hilarious addon for adults, too.
It was so unique and I loved it so much I'm buying it for every kid I know.
October 15, 2022
Such a cute little story about a hippo with hiccups. How do you get rid of these hiccups? Enlist your friends!
I love the illustrations and the nonsense rhyming in the story. It would make a great bedtime story.
I love the illustrations and the nonsense rhyming in the story. It would make a great bedtime story.
August 26, 2023
Much more fun to read aloud than alone. Thankfully this isn’t as bad of a hiccups case as Bo Jackson. As a theater-adjacent person, the cast bios page at the end is an adult Easter egg that is absolutely hilarious!
August 31, 2022
#62 of 2022
April 18, 2023
A long-time favorite of my kids’ from the collection at my parents’ house. That, and Chimpansneeze. I’ve wished for years that this series had more books than just the two, it’s so clever.
October 31, 2023
Awesome story
Humour, a cute whimsical story and beautiful illustrations. Especially enjoyed the ‘credits’ at the end of the book. Lovely reading for both adults and kids.
Humour, a cute whimsical story and beautiful illustrations. Especially enjoyed the ‘credits’ at the end of the book. Lovely reading for both adults and kids.
September 2, 2025
OK, so I didn't technically read it. Detective Dan from Smalltown Dicks read the book on their Patreon page. OMG, it was amazing. Hilarious.
December 30, 2025
it was really funny! and i liked the ryhmes
October 12, 2020
This is just a fun, rhyming book with great pictures. It's about a hippopotamus with many hiccups; as he comes across different animals in the stories, his hiccups make him have accidents that upset these animals. All the animals fed up and tried to figure out how to stop the hippopotamus's hiccups.
December 20, 2024
Too cute!
March 4, 2017
A consistently comical play on words, kids can't help but laugh out loud at the endeavors of a loving group of animals who try very hard to help their hippopotamus friend who has the hiccups.
April 5, 2013
Synopsis: "There was a hippopotamus who hiccupped quite-a-lotamus. And every time he got'emus . . . he'd fall upon his bottomus.
Calamity ensues when an elephant, a centipede, and
a rhinoceros try finding a cure for hippo's colossal case
of hiccups. Zenz's creativity shines through with
his use of colored pencil in this off-the-wall
read-aloud. HIC! HIC! HIC!"
My Review: Well I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a really cute concept and the story is cute how all the other animals try to help Calamity get rid of the hiccups, but it is a difficult one to read out loud with all the made up words. I don't see why it was necessary to add tamus at the end of every other word when you already have the added sound effect of the hiccups. With that said it is cute and the illustrations are adorable, maybe just making up your own story would work well. Munchkin did get the giggles when I hiccuped for him ;)
Calamity ensues when an elephant, a centipede, and
a rhinoceros try finding a cure for hippo's colossal case
of hiccups. Zenz's creativity shines through with
his use of colored pencil in this off-the-wall
read-aloud. HIC! HIC! HIC!"
My Review: Well I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a really cute concept and the story is cute how all the other animals try to help Calamity get rid of the hiccups, but it is a difficult one to read out loud with all the made up words. I don't see why it was necessary to add tamus at the end of every other word when you already have the added sound effect of the hiccups. With that said it is cute and the illustrations are adorable, maybe just making up your own story would work well. Munchkin did get the giggles when I hiccuped for him ;)
November 24, 2017
Summary: This short and sweet digital text shares the story of a hippo who has a terrible case of hiccups. Readers follow his journey as he wonders if he will ever be able to stop his hiccups and be cured for good. All of his different animal friends try to help cure him of the hiccups in their own special ways.
Evaluation: This book does a great job of bringing a light-hearted twist to the dreaded hiccups. The text and illustrations work together wonderfully, to bring this story to life. The author incorporates onomanopias throughout the story. Readers will rejoice in laughter when reading this interactive text.
Teaching Point: This book is a great digital text to get students interested in learning about onomanopias. I would use this book in my classroom to teach students the importance of onomanopias in their writings and readings. I would ask students to write their own short story including onomanopias after reading the book aloud.
Evaluation: This book does a great job of bringing a light-hearted twist to the dreaded hiccups. The text and illustrations work together wonderfully, to bring this story to life. The author incorporates onomanopias throughout the story. Readers will rejoice in laughter when reading this interactive text.
Teaching Point: This book is a great digital text to get students interested in learning about onomanopias. I would use this book in my classroom to teach students the importance of onomanopias in their writings and readings. I would ask students to write their own short story including onomanopias after reading the book aloud.
January 21, 2015
One of the most charming and entertaining children's books I have come across in a long time. I got it as a Christmas gift for my two year old grandson who is beginning to love sitting and listening to short stories. I also thought the beautifully drawn and whimsical illustrations would be a hit. I was surprised when he opened it and found it was one of his four year old brother's favorite and frequent picks from the library. We literally read it every night for the two weeks they were here. The humor is clever enough to keep adult readers entertained and elicits gales of giggles from small people. Highly recommend.
May 26, 2012
Cute art, but somewhat forced rhymes. Deliberately forced, but the gag gets a little wearing.
I think this is the only book on my shelves catalogued under "Medical remedies involving the use of buffalo — Fiction." Probably.
It has a fun disclaimer: "None of the characters were harmed (other than allergic rashes and minor chafing) in the making of this book." (In general the copyright notice page is whimsical.)
Make sure you turn all the way to the end to see the "Character Bios" page.
I think this is the only book on my shelves catalogued under "Medical remedies involving the use of buffalo — Fiction." Probably.
It has a fun disclaimer: "None of the characters were harmed (other than allergic rashes and minor chafing) in the making of this book." (In general the copyright notice page is whimsical.)
Make sure you turn all the way to the end to see the "Character Bios" page.
October 6, 2016
5 Stars, Buy it.
I love the pastel art and colors. I love the rhyming, the story was adorable. The cast bios at the end was very sweet and silly. I sometimes wish children’s books were longer but I suppose there are only so many ways to rhyme Hiccupotamus. Definitely a good read for readers of all ages.
I love the pastel art and colors. I love the rhyming, the story was adorable. The cast bios at the end was very sweet and silly. I sometimes wish children’s books were longer but I suppose there are only so many ways to rhyme Hiccupotamus. Definitely a good read for readers of all ages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 523 reviews