Green Hippo

by Petr Horácek, Petr Horácek (Illustrator)

Overview

When a green hippo struggles with being different, his friends help him accept his individuality in this boldly illustrated story from Petr Horácek.

Green Hippo is feeling sad because someone told him green hippos don’t exist. His friends Frog, Elephant, and Giraffe try to cheer him up, but Green Hippo is too dejected to listen—it’s easy for them to say such things, as Frog is the color he’s supposed to be, Elephant is gray, and Giraffe yellow! Walking off on his own, Green Hippo suddenly notices the kaleidoscope of colors all around him in the meadow, and his sadness turns to happiness. He can’t wait to share his discovery with his friends, who have their own surprise for him. In a touching story about friendship that doubles as a concept book about colors, Petr Horácek brings his own brilliant palette to celebrating the differences among us—and the gift of being yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536250909
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Petr Horácek grew up in Prague and trained as a graphic designer, illustrator, and painter. He has written and illustrated many books for children, including Tiny Owl’s Scary Day, A Best Friend for Bear, Animal Opposites, Grumpy Duck, The Greedy Goat, Puffin Peter, The Best Place in the World, and Who Is the Biggest? He lives in England.

I grew up in Prague in the Czech Republic. Just outside our flat there was a wood where I spent lots of time playing with friends. We would climb on piles of soil or build bunkers from forgotten builder’s materials. I always wanted to be an illustrator, but I preferred to look at the pictures inside the books rather than to read them. I would listen to the story or watch a film and then fill up my sketchbook with pictures and images from the story. I started to read books quite late, but I haven’t stopped since.

I studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Prague, where I painted and drew for six years. Some of my pictures were as big as a double bed! Every autumn the teachers drove us to the countryside, where they left us for a few weeks (once even a few months!) to paint and draw the landscape. Since then I have adored the autumn. One day an English girl named Claire came into my studio and before I knew it, I was living in England. We are married now and I love England, but it took me some time to learn English—in fact, I’m still learning.

My two daughters, Tereza and Cecilia, are the biggest inspiration for my work. I started to work on children’s books when Tereza was born. For my first books, Strawberries Are Red and What Is Black and White?, I received the Books for Children Newcomer Award in 2001. It was presented to me in a restaurant and we had a nice lunch. I still remember the lunch and I still have the trophy. I like doing novelty books best. I think it’s very exciting looking through the holes in the pages and seeing what will happen if I turn one more page!

Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I love children’s drawings.
2. I can’t spell—it’s rather embarrassing.
3. I like listening to radio plays.