Hiccupotamus

 

Hiccupotamus written by Steve Smallman and illustrated by Ada Grey (2015)

Mouse hears the bubbles coming up from the jungle stream in perfect rhythm and decides to squeak along. On hearing the new sound, Bird tweets a song to go with the rhythm and Centipede taps out a new beat with his many feet. Monkey joins the musical show with a ooh, ooh, ooh. Warthog adds the drumming of his tummy and Crocodile adds the plink, plunky plink of a bone on his teeth. So they danced and played all day long. Mouse stopped to thank everyone, but forgot one special music maker… hippo, who started the whole thing with his hiccuping bubbles in the stream. Hic-hic-bubble-bubble. Hic-hic-pop!

Have fun today making music with your favorite toddler.  Pick a catchy beat and squeak, tweet, tap and drum. Use your body to make the music. Can you clap, slap, or hiccup to the tune of a silly song? Make up some sounds to accompany Old McDonald or Twinkle, Twinkle or The Wheels on the Bus.  See if your toddler can join in with the music of a familiar song.

Have fun making new instruments.