The Little Hippos' Adventure
Every once in a while we become so enamored with a picture book that we  have to sit tight for a while to keep from injuring or annoying others with our  enthusiasm. Lena Landström'sThe Little Hippos' Adventureis one such  book. It's not surprising, really. We felt that way aboutBoo and Baa in the Woods, too,  an equally endearing book created by masters of understatement Lena and Olof  Landström.It all starts on a normal day on the hippos' fine muddy riverbank, as we view an  aerial shot of hippos in the water, looking much like bobbing corks in  Landström's winning illustrations. As we zoom in, we can see them relaxing, or  splashing, tumbling, or paddling... with one exception: "Mrs. Hippopotamus, who  lives nearby, is making seaweed pudding--just as she always does." And, as they  always do, the little hippos ask if they can go dive off the Tall Cliff. Today,  inexplicably, they get to go. It is a miracle! Of course, in their joy and  excitement about diving off the Tall Cliff, they forget about the dangers of the  jungle and how they are supposed to be careful. When the hungry hippos finish  diving and swim back home upriver, they have a close call with a hungry  crocodile!Luckily, Mrs. Hippopotamus is at the right place at the right time, yells at the  crocodile and scares it away. In our favorite, impossibly sweet scene, the  scared hippos learn how dangerous these reptiles can be. "But they also learn  that crocodiles can be funny." The three, cozy in a blanket, are laughing their  heads off as Mrs. Hippopotamus reads to them from a book about a crocodiles. The  next day, Mrs. H promises to help them build their new diving board as the  little hippos reminisce about their day at the Tall Cliff. Sure, the story is  simple. But it's as perfectly satisfying as a bedtime story gets, and  Landström's winsome illustrations will charm the socks off anyone, just as she  always does. (Ages 2 to 6)--Karin Snelson