A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2018 Award-winning illustrator Helen Cooper’s debut novel is a richly imagined and cleverly crafted story perfectly matched by her own illustrations. ‘Come now or come never!’ reads the mysterious invitation that arrives with the milk one day. Despite his mother’s protest, Ben knows he must take up the challenge. Working with the diverse inhabitants of the museum, he finds himself caught up in a desperate struggle to save the whole place from the wicked developers. With an underlying plot about the mysterious disappearance of his father this is both a thoughtful and an exciting novel that will fire the imagination of all readers who, like Ben, have ever dared to believe that the animals in a museum might come alive.
Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for June 2018:
The invitation was delivered by bees. It wasn t addressed to anyone at all, but Ben knew it was for him. It would lead him to an old, shambolic museum, full of strange and bewitching creatures. A peculiar world of hidden mysteries and curious family secrets . . . and some really dangerous magic. Filled with her own wonderful illustrations, The Hippo at the End of the Hall is Helen Cooper's debut novel.
A fantastical and dreamlike adventure - The Sunday Times
glorious first work of full-length fiction - Guardian
truly stunning...a pleasure to read - Books for Keeps
Author
About Helen Cooper
Helen Cooper’s childhood was spent in Cumbria, but she now lives in Oxford with her husband, Ted Dewan and young daughter. As well as being a highly talented artist, Helen is also a keen musician who studied music at college and worked as a music teacher before writing and illustrating full time.
She has illustrated over fourteen books and her work has been translated into fifteen languages. Helen is the first ever author/illustrator to have won the Kate Greenaway Medal with two consecutive books.
