How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look At Unusual Animal Partnerships by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Jenkins, S. and Page, R. (2010). How to Clean a Hippopotamus:  A Look At Unusual Animal Partnerships. Boston: Houghton Mifflin ISBN 9780547245157

Author:  Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Author Website:  www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/

Illustrator:  Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Illustrator Website:  www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/

Media Used: Collage Art with graphic novel page styling

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin

Year of Publication:  2010

ISBN:  9780547245157

Annotation: This colorful book explores the symbiotic relationships in the animal world.  Why are the coyote and badger friends?  In the hunting world they assist each other in finding and capturing prey and there are lots of examples.

Personal Reaction: This is a curiously fascinating book about animals and their friendships. All readers will be taken in with facts and colorful illustrations set in separate frames within the full page to illustrate each animals need and use.  The back matter gives specific facts like size habitat and diet for all of the animals mentioned since many are practically unknown  in the common animal world.

Illustration: Colorful collages of each animal are set against a single color background.  The animals are depicted in their habitat in order to illustrate the narrative.  Each page has several sequences with illustration and text combined to show the give and take of the relationships.

Use of Media: Simple but clear pictures of the animals are set within the habitat landscape. Comic book styling in both text and illustration clarify the narrative.