A Hippopotamus Ate the Teacher

by Mike Thaler

One day, Ms. Jones took her class to visit the monkeys, the tigers, and the hippopotamus at the zoo. But when she leaned too close to the railing to feed a hippo a peanuts, the hippo ate Ms. Jones instead. Who will teach class now? Why the hippo, of course When a hippopotamus eats the teacher instead of a peanut, the children wonder who will teach their class now?

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, 1st Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Mike Thaler, born in Los Angeles, started his professional career drawing cartoons for adults. A children's book editor saw one of his cartoon stories in a national magazine and encouraged Mike to try writing for children. His first attempt met with success, and "The Magic Boy" was published in 1961.

Mike has produced over 220 published books and is known as “America’s Riddle King.” He has also been called “The Court Jester of Children’s Literature.”

Mike Thaler lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife Patty. He gladly welcomes all invitations to do church and school programs, and other book events.

Mike travels each year throughout the world helping children and teachers create their own stories, riddles, and books. He writes and teaches with creativity, inspiring his audiences with a love of language.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Amusing little beginning story about a classroom that goes to the zoo. The teacher falls into the open mouth of a hippo and instead of the story being done, it’s like the hippo becomes the teacher and begins to teach the kids. It all works out ok. It’s a cute starter story I didn’t know about.

This is another fun book I found in my Aunt’s library for the kids. I did have the attention of the niece and nephew and they both laughed when the teacher fell in. The niece thought it was silly, but gave it 3 stars anyway and the nephew thought this was hilarious. He gave it 4 stars.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just the sort of silly, nonsensical story that children love.

It starts out plausibly enough as the school class goes on a field trip to the zoo and they see several animal exhibits. Then their teacher feeds the hippo and is SWALLOWED by the hippopotamus!

The hippo takes over teaching for a while--actually the teacher's voice comes from the hippo--but the kids soon tire of having no lap to sit on, among other complaints--so they rescue the teacher from inside the hippo by turning it upside down.

Fun for kids to read about children solving problems and being the heroes.

Originally published in 1981. A 30th anniversary edition was published in 2011.

Read in Austin from Drew/Sabrina/Logan's library.

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids familiar with the Black Lagoon books will enjoy this one as well, although looks like this came before the Black Lagoon books. The edition I read is a 30th anniversary edition published by Scholastic.

This is a fun, zany story of a teacher who takes her class to the zoo and gets eaten by the hippo when she leans too close while feeding it a peanut. Not to fear, though! The hippo takes over the teacher's job, speaking with her voice and wearing her hat. Very fun! A nice one for beginning readers.

[Holly Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love! I read this book over and over to my little sisters. It's ridiculous, but great! This was the first book that the author and the illustrator did together 30 years ago. Since then, there have been many more (The Black Lagoon Series). I was honored to meet Mike Thaler last winter and he signed copies of the book for my little sisters.

[Kirstin Kemppainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

One day the teacher takes her students to the zoo and she accidentally gets too close and falls into the hippopotamus' mouth. Then all of a sudden mrs. jones voice comes out of the hippopotamus's mouth and so the children listen to it and it teacher them for the rest of the week. Then the children have had enough and tip the animal and shake in until ms. jones comes out.

[Katy Brandes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love giving my son books for Christmas as much as he loves getting them.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming story with amusing illustrations. Somehow it seems classier in French than in English.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is the hippo dead at the end?! This book is so strange but just simply silly enough, I think. I don't know. It's odd!

(My used copy has written in it: Middendorf.)

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Anna Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books as a child (I'm 38), and I've often thought about it over the years. While cleaning out my parents' house this spring, I happened upon my original copy, and was pleased to find that it was still an entertaining read. The story is nonsensical (a hippopotamus eats a teacher, and then goes on to teach class at an elementary school, wearing the teacher's pillbox hat, noless), but just the kind of thing that little ones love. I've since bought it for several children in my life, and it's still a laugh-out-loud favorite!

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a hippopotamus eats their teacher, the hippopotamus teaches the class.

Disclosure: My kindergartner received this book through her school's BOOKS program.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! Not my favorite art style, but sweet.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Mrs. Jones and her class are at the zoo, Mrs. Jones falls over the railing of the hippopotamus pen. The hippopotamus promptly eats her. The children run to tell the zoo keeper, who, in turn, tells the zoo director. They all go back to the hippopotamus pen. There they see the hippo wearing Mrs. Jones' hat. The zoo director looks down the hippo's throat, but he can't see anything. Suddenly, the hippo begins talking in Mrs. Jones' voice. It stands on two legs and takes the children back to the bus. Back at school, the other teachers and the principal are greatly surprised, but the children explain what happened. The hippo begins teaching the next day. The hippo teaches math, science, reading. The other students at school are very curious about this new teacher, but the children in the hippo's class soon begin the miss Mrs. Jones. You can't really hug a hippo or sit on its lap. One day, during history, the students turn the hippo upside-down. Out falls Mrs. Jones. She puts on her hat and starts the history lessons right were she (or the hippo) left off.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Lindsey Hulsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny little book. Could use for a activity, or just a funny story during break time. Shows the students different animals you may see at the zoo, and they will think it is funny that a hippo teaches the class.

[Xander Pettis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that the hippo ate the teacher and that the hippo taught the class.

[Kara Moreland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a class going to a zoo. The teacher falls in the hippo cage, and eats her. After getting the zoo keeper and zoo director, the hippo starts talking to the class and goes back to school with them. The hippo is their new teacher, but the students miss their old teacher so the shake the hippo upside down until she falls out and starts teaching class again.
This was a very strange book. I couldn't help but laugh at how outdated it was and how different the book was. It was funny in its strangeness.
I don't know if I would use this in the classroom or not. It could be used as humor in a read aloud maybe.

[Peyton]

5/5