Children's Authors - Sandra Boynton

Sandra Boynton. A fun place to start this series on our favourite children's authors. Sandra Boynton books have been around since I was a child, growing up in the USA in the 70s and 80s. (I'm not sure if they were in Australia though until more recently).

She is an author and illustrator, and most books feature animals - in fact, I can't recall any with people. Hippos feature often. Our favourite is Hippos Go Beserk.

It's a counting book, starting

One hippo all alone
calls two hippos on the phone.
Three hippos at the door
Bring along another four...
Nine hippos come to work
ALL THE HIPPOS GO BESERK!

Cleverly, she then counts backwards as all the hippos leave again...

..three hippos say "good day"
the last two hippos go their way
one hippo alone once more
misses the other forty-four.

It's a great read, and appeals from ages 1 and up (all ages really). We have it as a board book, and it is falling apart after being loved and well-read by all three.


Another one featuring hippos again is: But Not the Hippopotamus

With fun rhymes and great illustrations, it looks at being left out:

A moose and a goose together have juice
but not the hippopotamus
A bear and a hare have been to the fair
but not the hippopotamus

In the end, they all invite her to join in...

..saying "Hey, come join the lot of us!"
And she just doesn't know - should she stay, should she go?
But YES the hippopotamus
But not the armadillo.

This one (left over from my childhood) lives at Nanna and Grandad's house and is enjoyed every time we visit. Again suitable for all ages, and grownups have fun too.


Another simpler one, mainly for toddlers is Moo Baa La La La! It's a fun way to learn some animal noises:

A cow says MOO
A sheep says BAA
Three singing pigs say LA LA LA!
"No, no!" you say, "that isn't right.
The pigs say OINK all day and night...
QUACK! says the duck
A horse says NEIGH
(It's quiet now, What do you say?)

Other ones we have enjoyed include: The Going to Bed Book and Opposites.

You can find more about Sandra Boynton at her website, which gives you an idea of her sense of humour as well! I was tempted to order the sterling silver hippo earrings as a memento for my sister and I of our childhood, but I wonder where I would wear them?? (and they weren't that cheap either!)


* apologies if I have misquoted any of these books, I was going off memory for some!