Hippo is having a really bad day. He oversleeps, and because of this, he doesn't have any breakfast. When he gets to school (late) he is terribly hungry and can't do his maths. Miss Bird is cross! The other animals laugh when Hippo's tummy rumbles and he gets the hiccups, so Miss Bird is cross again and sends Hippo off to the kitchen for a drink of water. Temptation lurks on the kitchen table in the form of a big chocolate cake intended for lunch, and Hippo succumbs. Back in class he feels quite sick, and when all the animals troop to the kitchen for lunch, they are told by the cook, Mrs Croc, that the cake is gone. She thinks Hattie, the school cat, has eaten it, but Hippo knows better. When he can't eat his soup, Hippo is sent back to Miss Bird, and feeling guilty, he tells her what he has done. They decide together what is best to do, and he says 'sorry' to each of his classmates, and he and Mrs Croc make a new cake for them all. The comic style animal illustrations in this picture book are bright and fun, and help to tell the story. Hippo learns that his actions affect other people, and that telling the truth is always the best option. Hattie the cat shows quite clearly what she things of Hippo; even when he says 'sorry' to her, she is definitely cross! Good fun, and two pages of notes for adults at the end give suggestions for how to use the book.