Hooray for Hoppy! by Tim Hopgood

If you’re looking for a picture book that celebrates the start of spring then look no further than Hooray for Hoppy! written and illustrated by Tim Hopgood and published by Macmillan Children’s Books.

Hoppy the rabbit is waiting for the start of spring, he pops out of his hole each morning looking for those tell-tale signs. The first few times he checks it is still too cold and icy until one morning he smells the fresh spring air.

Feeling hopeful he hops out in search of more clues; he hears the birds singing, smells the new flowers, spots newborn lambs, nibbles on fresh green grass and feels the warm ground. The only thing missing is his friends so he hops to the top of the hill to wake them all up.

Tim Hopgood’s illustrations are truly stunning; bright, bold colours burst out of each page with a mix of techniques that create wonderfully textured scenes. Every page is a delight with an abundance of detail and sweet, appealing characters.

My one-year-old adores this book, his favourite part is when Hoppy is searching for his friends – The page shows Hoppy alone on the top of the hill where he stomps his feet on the ground. When you turn the page the same hill has been transformed as a carpet of curious rabbits have appeared completely covering the ground. This image is shown without any text to accompany it, an excellent invitation for you and your little ones to talk about what has happened.

Hoppy uses all five senses to discover that spring has sprung and the spread at the end of the book provides more opportunities to learn about and discuss how we use our senses to interact with the world.

A beautiful book, perfectly crafted and full of charm; great to read when discussing the changing seasons or our senses.

You can see more of Tim Hopgood’s fabulous work on his website here.

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