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Hippo Has a Hat
Lots of clothes! Let's try them. Maybe we can buy them.
There is chaos in the clothes shop when the animals go on a glorious shopping spree. Zebra's zipper is stuck and Toad's tracksuit is far too big, but Flamingo finds a stylish bag, and Caterpillar's shoes are really cool. There has never been a fashion show like it. Rhyming text is perfect for interactive play with young children and inspires them to play dress up.
There is chaos in the clothes shop when the animals go on a glorious shopping spree. Zebra's zipper is stuck and Toad's tracksuit is far too big, but Flamingo finds a stylish bag, and Caterpillar's shoes are really cool. There has never been a fashion show like it. Rhyming text is perfect for interactive play with young children and inspires them to play dress up.
20 pages, Board book
First published April 1, 2006
5 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,215 books1,863 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 21, 2020
This bright, colourful picture book is quite short but has lots of rhyme and opportunities for early readers to apply their phonics skills so it could be used on an individual basis. I wouldn't use it with a whole class as it's quite short and I don't think the story is particularly interesting although young children might enjoy all the different animals. It might be popular with very young children such as those in FS and Year 1 but personally I would prefer to use books which have more depth in the narrative as older and more able children may find it boring.
January 21, 2020
I didn’t actually read this my daughter read it to me, super proud.
January 29, 2021
This book is one of my daughter's favorites. It's cute with bright illustrations, a good cadence to it and a simple ending that includes every character mentioned having a party now that they're all dressed up.
April 18, 2019
My brother loves this book, we got it today and he has made me read it at least 5 times. It’s easy to follow with beautiful and bright illustrations.
June 15, 2019
Fun book that small human really enjoys. She is always most concerned by the duck, and pleased to see that it has figured out how to wear the shirt properly at the end :)
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September 21, 2019Library book for Marcus
September 6, 2021
This was surprisingly simple for a Donaldson book, though we enjoyed the illustrations.
June 29, 2024
Fun, colorful book about clothes and animals. Vivid colors, interesting patterns and details on each page. Simple alliteration and rhymes.
July 29, 2024
Very simple and enjoyable
April 16, 2025
Great illustrations ! A very short , fun and a captivating book
March 21, 2012
Hippo has a hat is an animal based book, and is especially recommended for very young children. This book is very short, yet very informative. It’s a simple book, where bunch of animals cause havoc in a clothes shop, during their magnificent shopping spree. This book is full of alliterations and rhymes. The book has loads of different animal characters (all trying different types of clothes). I would give 10 out of 10 for this book, since the illustration in this book is very eye- catching. Many children would find this book humorous and attention-grabbing. The front cover of the book has a gigantic picture of a hippo and in big colourful letters the words “Hippo Has a Hat” is written to emphasise the fact that it’s an animal based book.
It’s a delightful book where loads of animals dress up and then have a dress up party in the end. Young children can do a role- play, where they dress- up differently and perhaps have their own party in the classroom.
It’s a delightful book where loads of animals dress up and then have a dress up party in the end. Young children can do a role- play, where they dress- up differently and perhaps have their own party in the classroom.
May 17, 2015
This story is based on animals, a great book to use for an animal based topic. It is short but very interactive. It includes a lot of rhymes which can be used for guided reading with a KPI of recognising rhymes. It also has much alliteration which children may identify as a pattern in the words.
The story is about different animals going into a clothes store and they try on different types of clothing. The illustration in the book is very eye-catching and is very clear which makes it easy for children to identify the different type of clothing including the different type of animals. This will be a great story to also do a role-play and a great dress-up activity for children. I will recommend this to be used in a reception class as it allows children to use it in many different ways, including recognising and naming animals, recognise everyday clothing that they are familiar with and read common cvc words.
The story is about different animals going into a clothes store and they try on different types of clothing. The illustration in the book is very eye-catching and is very clear which makes it easy for children to identify the different type of clothing including the different type of animals. This will be a great story to also do a role-play and a great dress-up activity for children. I will recommend this to be used in a reception class as it allows children to use it in many different ways, including recognising and naming animals, recognise everyday clothing that they are familiar with and read common cvc words.
January 1, 2012
‘Hippo Has A Hat’, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt, tells the story of hippo and his friends who go to a clothes store to find some items for a party. Different animals try different items on to see if they fit, with differing results! Tiger seems to love his new shirt but poor pig just can’t seem to fit into her jeans.
The book is colourfully illustrated and is undoubtedly aimed at very young readers who will enjoy encountering not only the names and appearance of varying types of animals (i.e. cat, duck, zebra, toad) but also the different items of clothing too.
Owing to the interesting and often humorous visuals, I would recommend this book for either Nursery or Reception aged children with a parent/teacher reading the story to them or to Year 1 children who will want to attempt to read the book for themselves.
The book is colourfully illustrated and is undoubtedly aimed at very young readers who will enjoy encountering not only the names and appearance of varying types of animals (i.e. cat, duck, zebra, toad) but also the different items of clothing too.
Owing to the interesting and often humorous visuals, I would recommend this book for either Nursery or Reception aged children with a parent/teacher reading the story to them or to Year 1 children who will want to attempt to read the book for themselves.
October 13, 2016
This is a fun rhyming story where animals go to a shop and try on lots of clothes. There is little writing on each page so it would most likely appeal to a younger audience - maybe 3-4 years. The pictures are brightly coloured and there are lots of patterns featured throughout the book which makes it eye catching. Along with the rhyme, there is also some alliteration which is an amusing touch - 'a cardigan for cat', 'hippo has a hat' and 'camel finds a coat'. Some of the illustrations are just hilarious - a pig that cannot fit into some jeans, a duck wearing a polo shirt all wrong, and a caterpillar wearing 5 pairs of shoes! A funny and ridiculous read that may inspire some silly dressing up.
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May 9, 2012Hippo Has A Hat by Julia Donaldson is a colourful and engaging book for young children. This short book introduces the concept of easy rhyme very well, through the various animal characters. Children can learn a lot from this book as a short story including rhyme, different types of animals, as well as different types of clothes.
The colourful animations by Nick Sharratt add to the enjoyment of the book for children. This book could be used as an introduction to the concept of rhyme as well as the animals found in the zoo.
Overall I think it is a very enjoyable book and can be used to great effect in lessons.
The colourful animations by Nick Sharratt add to the enjoyment of the book for children. This book could be used as an introduction to the concept of rhyme as well as the animals found in the zoo.
Overall I think it is a very enjoyable book and can be used to great effect in lessons.
October 29, 2016
I read this with my step siblings and we decided to construct this review together. We all liked the bright illustrations in the book and the rhyming pattern used. We also liked the alliteration for the each of the animals with their pieces of clothing e.g. 'Hippo has a hat' because it made us chuckle. However, we all thought this book would be best suited for a younger audience due to the basic features of the book. It could be used to support role play of a fashion show within foundation stage where children could even come up with their own version of the story together.
February 14, 2014
This book is aimed at younger children than many of Julia Donaldson's other books so unfortunately we missed the boat with our daughter. However at almost 4 she still thought it fun. I think it would be perfect for 2-3 year olds - lots of animals dressing up in clothes so they can identify the animals and clothes and work out if they are wearing them properly! Fun book as always from this author/illustrator combination.
November 29, 2014
My daughter used to love this when she was about two or three but she hadn't looked at it for a while. She asked to read it yesterday and I was reminded just how much fun it was. The alliterative, rhyming text is great for kids just starting to acquire language and the illustrations are engaging and fun, and contain lots of areas for possible extension activities. I'm looking forward to rediscovering it all over again with her little sister.
June 9, 2014
My toddler LOVES this book. It's helping her learn various animals and various types of clothing.
The only problem we've had is the line 'Hippo has a hat. A cardigan for cat'. She knows what a cat is so she assumed that, based on the sentence structure I assume, the big grey thing is a hat and was calling hippos in other books 'hats', but we've sorted that out now!
The only problem we've had is the line 'Hippo has a hat. A cardigan for cat'. She knows what a cat is so she assumed that, based on the sentence structure I assume, the big grey thing is a hat and was calling hippos in other books 'hats', but we've sorted that out now!
July 21, 2016
Children will love the idea of various animals trying on different items of clothing and not always getting it right. My favourite has to be duck trying on a shirt but his head pops out of the sleeve! Donaldson and Sharratt are an amazing combo, the hilarious illustrations will gurantee to put smile (or rather a wide grin) on your child's face.
March 25, 2013
This is my book review of ‘ Hippo has a hat’ this book is great for early years. Its about all the animals going into a clothes shop trying our various clothes. In the end they all attended a party with all their colourful knew clothes.
June 27, 2014
Hippo's friends go to a clothes shop to buy some new clothes. But, Zebra's slipper is stuck, Toad's tracksuit is too big, etc. However, Flamingo finds a nice bag and Caterpillar manages to buy some great shoes. Rhyming throughout the story. At the end, animals are ready to head to the party.
July 6, 2014
An enjoyable, fun, colourful jaunt! Hippo Has a Hat is a simple story of a group of animal friends seeking a good time. Short sentences make this book an ideal start for little ones learning to read. The images are colourful and engaging. My 3 year old daughter enjoyed this thoroughly.
September 23, 2021
Re-read
Cute rhyme with deceptively simple pictures: the child gets a hint of what animal will appear on the next page.
The smallest person in the household's review: "it's great because animals are wearing clothes."
Cute rhyme with deceptively simple pictures: the child gets a hint of what animal will appear on the next page.
The smallest person in the household's review: "it's great because animals are wearing clothes."
June 13, 2009
A group of animals entered a shop and each of them take something to wear. A simple rhyming book
February 6, 2013
nice illustrations!
August 19, 2013
I really like this one. The animals try all the different garments, it's well written and I like that it's about an experience children everywhere might have.
September 29, 2014
Colorful illustrations. It's a silly little story, but the illustrations provide an opportunity to talk with you child about clothing and how to get dressed.
January 5, 2023
good for storytime {4/5}
still good at storytime--much more involvement from the kiddos this time, everyone took turns picking out which outfit was best (Zebra won) [5/5]
still good at storytime--much more involvement from the kiddos this time, everyone took turns picking out which outfit was best (Zebra won) [5/5]
October 29, 2009
cute story about each animal trying on a different piece of clothing, then having a dress-up party.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews