Order Here | HarperCollins 2020 | Written by Elliott Kalan

With tongue-twisty wordplay and escalating absurdity, this is a fall-down-funny farce that will surprise and delight readers--from television comedy writer Elliott Kalan and acclaimed illustrator Andrea Tsurumi. When Sharko calls for a boat, Hippo pulls out a goat. He wants a pole, but Hippo gives him a pail. And instead of bait, a beet and a boot. Hippo's coat pockets seem to have everything except what Sharko asks for. Will their fishing trip ever get off the ground?

“Readers stay laughing as Hippo brings still more rapid-fire confusion to the demanding Sharko’s fishing trip. (His final grin explains why.) In amusing, heavy-lined illustrations by Tsurumi (Crab Cake), the duo’s gymnastic eyebrows express myriad emotions as Hippo rummages around in multitudinous coat pockets. . . Kalan and Tsurumi pay homage to humor that fights bossiness with anarchy—Hippo may look foolish, but it’s Sharko’s plans that are utterly, gleefully foiled. Ages 4–8.” - Publishers Weekly

“Dialogue in speech bubbles drives the narrative seamlessly, coupled with Tsurumi’s genial cartoon art, which downplays Sharko’s teeth in favor of impressively emphatic eyebrows. Kids will laugh along with each picture cue as the silliness endures down to the last reveal, which discloses Hippo’s secret motive behind the foolishness.” - Kirkus

“Here, early readers will find good practice in word recognition . . . Tsurumi’s illustrations, done in ink, watercolor, collage, and Photoshop, are crowded with comic detail. We have rhyming words, alliteration, homophones, and more wordplay, all presented as Hippo throws out the wrong objects.” - Booklist

“Youngsters who are just learning beginning letter sounds and rhyming sounds will love the wordplay on which the entirety of this silly and engaging tale rests. Be ready for guffaws, corrections and some wildly playful additional suggestions.”-Florida Times-Union