Kid Konnection: Duck and Hippo in the Rainstorm & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you a cute picture book from the Duck and Hippo series.

Summary: Duck and Hippo may be completely different, but they are best friends. When playful Duck invites careful Hippo to go for a walk in the rain, they have trouble sharing Duck’s umbrella. But Duck and Hippo won’t let that stop them. Soon they are puddle-jumping and sailing down the river! Until…WHOOOSH! A terrible wind sends the umbrella flying up, up, up into the air, with one friend holding on. What will Duck and Hippo do now? Jonathan London’s charming text and Andrew Joyner’s delightful art bring to life two lovable friends in this fun new series. -- Two Lions

DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM by Jonathan London and illustrated by Andrew Joyner is a great picture book for kids ages three to seven. Duck and Hippo are a bit like the odd couple -- Duck is kind of carefree while Hippo is definitely more cautious. As you can imagine, their personality differences provide some fun entertainment for readers!

In DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM, Duck invites Hippo to go for a walk in the rain. Of course, Hippo is reluctant to go but Duck assures him that she will share her umbrella. As you can probably imagine, it's rather difficult for a hippo and a duck to share an umbrella. That is until Hippo realized he could hold the umbrella. The two unlikely friends are soon jumping puddles and riding down the river until... a big wind lifts Duck into the air! Naturally, Hippo follows his floating friend until Duck gradually returns to the ground, and the two share a cup of tea.

I thought DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM was adorable. These two characters are so much fun, and their unlikely friendship is good for a few laughs. I found their antics in the rain to be sweet, and I like how the author features two very different animals who can still manage to get along... and actually bring out the best in each other!

Mr. London is the bestselling author of the Froggy series, so I don't need to tell you that he is a terrific author. The illustration by Mr. Joyner are just precious and complement the text perfectly. I actually think these two men are on to something with DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM, and I suspect we might be seeing more of these two lovable friends in future books.

And just in case you can't wait to get more of Duck and Hippo, there are free downloadable activity sheets to check out!

Thanks to Blue Slip Media for providing a review copy of this book.

Giveaway alert: Two Lions is offering a copy of DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM to share with one lucky reader. To enter, just fill out the form below before March 17th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!