A Hippo Lives in Havelock

 A Hippo Lives in Havelock

By Brett Avison

Illustrated by Scott Tulloch

Bateman  - Hardback -  RRP $24.99

For ages 2–6

A Hippo Lives in Havelock is a quintessential Kiwi story. Havelock could be any town in New Zealand and the sense of wonder at a hippo coming to reside in the town could be felt by any little Kiwi kid in their own patch of New Zealand.

Scott Tulloch’s detailed illustrations depict things us Kiwis are familiar with: the NZ Post postie on a bike, camping scenes, the Cook Strait ferry, campervans, our wildlife and seashells, colonial wooden buildings, town halls and community gardens. The clever text is a chance to promote stories of ourselves in our own backyard.

The big question, of course, is how does a hippo fit into all of this? Think of the recent worldwide fascination when a hippo (and other animals) escaped from a flooded zoo in Georgia and ran amok. It captured the imagination of millions around the world, including the imagination of the bestselling author, Brett Avison, who himself lives in Havelock.

Brett Avison is the author of bestselling children’s titles A Bigger Digger, Ducks to Water, Pigs Might Fly and Stuck in the Muck.

Scott Tulloch is the author/illustrator of I Am Not a Worm and The Silly Goat Gruff, while his illustration credits include Craig Smith’s My Daddy Ate an Apple and Square Eyes. Scott lives in Arrowtown.