Fiona in the Sandbox

by Rilla Alexander

Overview

Fiona digs, builds, and pretends in her favorite spot—the sandbox—in this second of four irresistible full-length miniature picture books, where the littlest readers are introduced to new friends and the charming world of the Hippo Park playground.

This second book in the Hippo Park Friends series—introduces Fiona the Hippo in her beloved sandbox. Fiona is a builder and a digger, and has a big imagination. She's digging for dinosaurs when she hits an imaginary bone and poof—she and her brother Herbert and face to face with a dino. So naturally, they bake cakes and pies and enjoy! The Hippo Park Pals mini picture books are all set in the playground, where the animals play, imagine, and have lots of fun and feelings—just like preschoolers do.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662640100
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Series:	Hippo Park Pals , #2
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 5.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD290L (what's this?)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Rilla Alexander grew up in the country, in Australia, with her little sisters, Fiona and Emily. They had a sandbox and swings in the backyard, and a playhouse called Sunshine Cottage, which was made out of a rainwater tank. Nowadays, Rilla is an illustrator, author, and designer and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Steve, and their puppy, Spot. She has written many picture books and board books, including The New Rooster and Touchwords.

Editorial Reviews

"Little ones will have no trouble connecting with the emotionally satisfying outcome of this seamlessly simple storyline with its underlying tones of friendship and sibling companionship….Relatable toddler fare that brings to life an activity beloved by many children." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-12-14
Fiona the hippo and her brother, Herbert, join friends in a favorite activity: playing in the sandbox.

Fiona is thrilled about the sunshine, the warm sand, and the opportunity to play with her friends (who include a mouse, a turtle, and a frog) and share the numerous toys available. After inadvertently getting some sand on Herbert (“dig dig whoosh!” “Hey, watch out!”), Fiona pauses when she hits something hard and finds a toy dinosaur. She and Herbert imagine themselves digging for dino bones before coming up with further inventive scenarios, with Fiona creating a satisfying, delicious assortment of sand-based pies, cookies, and cakes. Black-outlined, flat, minimal cartoon drawings filled in with colored pencil in hues of purple, green, blue, and yellow emphasize the camaraderie of this playtime setting. The direct narrative depicts young sibling hippos enjoying their sandbox play. Little ones will have no trouble connecting with the emotionally satisfying outcome of this seamlessly simple storyline with its underlying tones of friendship and sibling companionship. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Relatable toddler fare that brings to life an activity beloved by many children. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews