The Blue Hippopotamus

The Blue Hippopotamus by Gilman, Phoebe. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780439952606.

A beautiful story about the transformative power of friendship and the love between a mother and child. A young hippo falls madly in love with an Egyptian princess. Desperate to be with her, the hippo asks a magician to change him into "something she could love." The magician reveals that hes unable turn a hippo into a human, but can turn him into a toy, and he grants the hippo the power to turn himself back into his real self whenever he chooses. The excited hippo accepts this offer, and becomes the princesss new toy - but will this be enough? Based on a story by Joan Grant, this is Phoebe Gilmans long-awaited final book. The illustrations by Joanne Fitzgerald are inspired by the sketches Phoebe drew before her death in 2002.