Hippo Goes Bananas

When we were first married, my husband and I occasionally argued because he thought he knew what I wanted. I should have had this book to help him understand that things may not always be the way they appear. In the book Hippo Goes Bananas by Marjorie Dennis Murray, poor Hippo has a terrible toothache and starts tearing down the trees in the jungle. The other animals assume he is”going bananas” and then think he must be too hot. They take action to help him, but is it really what he needs? This fun story will help children begin to understand that there may be something more behind the actions of a person. Children would probably enjoy taking turns pretending to be Hippo and the other animals who could ask, “Is there something wrong?” and, “How can I help?” They could even act out an alternative ending to the story now that they have asked the questions and listened to Hippo’s answer.