Hippos Go Berserk!

In my house, we're all a bit obsessed with Sandra Boynton.

Boynton was a grad student in drama--first at Berkeley, then at Yale. She began to do greeting cards on the side. One was for Christmas -- featuring "Dependent Claus," an anxious Santa who really relies on one reindeer for emotional support.

(My source is Boynton's friend, Ann Patchett, the literary powerhouse: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/sandra-boynton-is-changing-some-of-her-beloved-childrens-books-but-why-mess-with-perfection/2019/06/27/9447026e-9457-11e9-b58a-a6a9afaa0e3e_story.html .....)

Boynton has written many, many bestsellers; in this house, we have the board books "Barnyard Dance," "Hippos Go Berserk," "What's Wrong, Little Pookie?" "Spooky Pookie," and "The Going to Bed Book." ("Barnyard Dance" is the favorite book of Olivia Benson's son, on "Law and Order: SVU.")

I love "The Going to Bed Book," because it's never explained why a group of animals are together on a cruise ship. I love that the animals exercise in their pajamas, on the deck, then retreat to the bowels of the ship for sleep ("not so fast," because the exercise has made them tired).

Also: These books are a perfect length. And, as Patchett points out, the rhymes are pretty consistently surprising. ("Nine hippos headed west, while....Eight hippos were quite distressed, and....")

Finally, Josh can eat the books--the pages are thick--so he is a fan, as well.

That's what we're reading for now.

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