HIP, HIP, HOORAY DAY!

Saltzberg follows up the success of The Problem with Pumpkins (2001) with this endearing tale of best friends and a birthday. In “Birthday Wishes,” the first of three short chapters, Hip hints around to her bunny pal. Humorous pen-and-ink, watercolor, and colored-pencil vignettes show the hippo drawing pictures of roller skates, trimming the hedges in the shape of skates, and flying a kite to which she’s taped a sign (“Royal Roller Rink”). “By the end of the week, Hip was sure Hop had to know how much she wanted to go to the Royal Roller Rink and rent roller skates.” But in Chapter Two, “Hip, Hip, Hooray Day!,” Hip is unhappy when Hop presents her with a slew of unsatisfying gifts, including a coupon for sorting her socks. Naturally, the two have a blowout. “You obviously don’t know what fun is,” says Hip. “I left hints all week. If you were really my best friend, you would have known how I wanted to spend my birthday.” The final chapter, “Surprise,” is a double whammy. When Hip sits down at the piano to play a birthday tune, the keys won’t work. That’s because their friend Peapod has hidden the real present—a pair of roller skates—inside. “I told you I would find a special way to wrap your present for Hip.” The second in an ongoing series, Saltzberg’s lighthearted portrayal of the complexities of friendship will strike a familiar chord with readers. (Picture book. 5-8)