Book picks similar to
Nungu and the Hippopotamus by Babette Cole


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The Gypsy Princess


Phoebe Gilman - 1995
    A gypsy girl who gets the opportunity to live in a palace as a princess finds she prefers her gypsy life after all.

Pancakes for Findus


Sven Nordqvist - 1984
    Pettson wants to bake a birthday cake for Findus, who has three birthdays a year. But how will they get the eggs with the bull in the way? Findus and Pettson live in a ramshackle cottage in the country, with a henhouse, workshop, and woodshed. Their fascinating, magical world is inhabited by tiny creatures who move Pettson's things about when he isn't looking. Pancakes for Findus was the London Sunday Times "Children's Book of the Week" in December 2007. (Ages 4-8)

Not Your Typical Dragon


Dan Bar-el - 2013
    But when Crispin tries to breathe fire on his seventh birthday, fire doesn't come out—only whipped cream! Each time Crispin tries to breathe fire, he ends up with Band-Aids marshmallows teddy bears? Crispin wonders if he’ll ever find his inner fire. But when a family emergency breaks out, it takes a little dragon with not-so-typical abilities to save the day. With wry humor and whimsical illustrations, Not Your Typical Dragon is the perfect story for any child who can't help feeling a little bit different.

How to Get a Job...by Me, the Boss


Sally Lloyd-Jones - 2011
    This time, she knows all about how to get a job, and she walks readers through the whole process: from deciding what you want to be all the way to acing the interview (tip: don't bring your pet gerbils). This book is sure to be a hit with kids who love to play pretend and dream about what they're going to be when they grow up.

Don't Call Me Bear!


Aaron Blabey - 2016
    

Some Cat!


Mary Casanova - 2012
    One afternoon, while her new family is out fishing, Violet is awakened by some stray dogs who chase poor Violet into a corner. Luckily, George and Zippity arrive home just in time to help.

Shrunken Treasures: Literary Classics, Short, Sweet, and Silly


Scott Nash - 2016
    Lighthearted verse turns Moby-Dick into a simple nursery song. Outrageous color makes even gloomy Hamlet seem like fun. Riotous images transform Jane Eyre’s ordeal into a whirlwind adventure. The Metamorphosis, Remembrance of Things Past, Don Quixote, and others have all been delivered from dense duty to delightful ditty in Scott Nash’s collection of hallowed classics, featuring notes about the original texts at the end.

A Good Trade


Alma Fullerton - 2012
    His destination is the village well, where he will pump a day’s supply of water into two jerry cans. Like every day, Kato lets the water splash over his hot tired feet before carrying his heavy load back home, where his chores await him. But this is no ordinary day. The aid worker’s truck has come to the village square, and in the back is a gift so special, the little boy rushes home to look for something to repay the aid worker. Alma Fullerton’s spare, lilting prose tells a deceptively simple story of one day in a little boy’s life. But in a place ravaged by a generation of civil war and drought, a village well brings life, a gift of shoes is a cause for celebration, and a simple flower becomes an eloquent symbol of peace and gratitude.

Binky


Leslie Patricelli - 2005
    Here, in her humorous, bold graphic style, Leslie Patricelli plays up a scenario near and dear to every toddler's heart, raising the plaintive question: can there be any peace in the house when a beloved binky is not to be found?

You and Me, Me and You


Miguel Tanco - 2017
    After all, the connection between a father and child yields a lifetime of learning and love. In You and Me, Me and You, that special bond is honored through poignant, tenderly rendered illustrated vignettes: a father and son walk together, discuss life amid a city's bustle, play, and, perhaps most profoundly, grow, side by side. Bright pops of Pantone yellow infuse each spread with joy, and a cloth spine adds an irresistible specialness. At once a treasured Father's Day gift and a year-round "I love you," parents and children will delight in this celebration of a supremely meaningful relationship.

Let's All Creep through the Crocodile Creek


Jonny Lambert - 2019
    "Isn't that where the crocodiles live?" asks Rabbit nervously. Mouse reassures Rabbit that he's never seen a crocodile there. As the friends journey through the creek, they encounter a lumpy, bumpy bridge along with scritchy, scratchy thorns and swingy, springy vines. Watch out for the hidden crocodiles in this fabulously fun adventure!

The Night Is Deep and Wide


Gillian Sze - 2021
    In this bedtime story written as an Italian villanelle, poet Gillian Sze makes use of the poetic forms of cyclic pattern and rhyme scheme to create a melodious lullaby.A young child comes in from picking flowers as the creatures around their home all settle down for the evening. Songbirds curl against their mothers’ sides, the house slumps and sighs low, a hush settles as times slows. And little readers are invited to rest their heads and be soothed to sleep as moonlight falls on eyes that close.

Muffin Dragon


Stephen Cosgrove - 1974
    They will have to learn about sharing and cooperation for everyone to be happy. Full-color illustrations.

The Tallest Tree House


Elly MacKay - 2019
    One day, Mip has a brilliant idea to build a tree house and decides to make it into a contest: whoever can build the tallest tree house the fastest wins! Pip, who is much more thoughtful and a planner, reads about architecture and sketches out blueprints while Mip, the speedster, is already halfway done constructing her house. But when a powerful gust of wind threatens Mip's tree house and Pip's safety, the two friends must learn to appreciate each other's talents to save the day-and to build the tallest tree house in the forest.

The Story of Inkdrop and Snowflake


Pierdomenico Baccalario - 2013
    A snowflake is about to fall from the sky.A big town in winter. An ink drop spills out of its bottle in an artist's studio. The wind carries the snowflake through the towna nd the ink drop out of the window into the sky. Where will each land? Two worlds, two intersecting stories.A snowflake and an ink drop – can you imagine a more unlikely couple of friends? Still, could it be that they're destined to be friends?Pierdomenico Baccalario is a writer who was born in Italy.Alessandro Gatti is a writer and translator who was born in Italy.Simona Mulazzani is a childrens artist who was born in Milan.