View source for Rhino? What Rhino? by Caryl Hart and Sarah Horne

{{infobox2
|title=Rhino? What Rhino?
|author=Caryl Hart and Sarah Horne
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A vibrant and silly book about a rhino on the loose. There are plenty of giggles to be had throughout. Well worth a look.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0340981399
|pages=32
|publisher=Hodder Children's Books
|date=April 2010
|aznuk=0340981393
|aznus=0340981393
|cover=0340981393
|website=http://www.carylhart.com/
}}

The rhino was lonely and bored and the zoo, so he squeezes between the bars and heads out into the great, wide world. Being a rhino, his manners aren't quite up to scratch, so he gets into all sorts of scrapes and japes as he steals people's clothes and food. Other poor animals get the blame, so they decide to have a word with the rhino to set him back on the right path.

I enjoyed ''Rhino? What Rhino?'' There's a silly streak running throughout it as the rhino causes lots of trouble. Any book with a rhino on the loose is going to strike a chord with young book fans. The strong rhythm and rhyme keeps everything ticking along at a nice pace. The repetition of ''No-one else has come by, so it must have been YOU!'' and ''Rhino? What rhino? That cannot be true. There's only one rhino and he's in the zoo'' will have children joining in with the words and heading towards reading for themselves. There's also a message in there about not being greedy and selfish, and owning up to things you've done wrong. It's not hammered home, and it's not entirely necessary, but the point is gently made.

Sarah Horne's illustrations are excellent. If you don't fall in love with the rhino on the front cover, I don't know what's wrong with you. She really lets her hair down and allows her imagination to run wild. There are plenty of little touches throughout that reward poring over the pages - snorkelling in mud, cats in knickers, and so on. The style is lively and energetic. Kids'll love it.

''Rhino? What Rhino?'' is a light-hearted and silly book, with plenty going for it. There's lots to giggle at and lots of fun to be had. Well worth a look.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

For other rhino-based fun, look no further than [[Chief Rhino To The Rescue by Sam Lloyd]]. If you want to learn more about manners, you'll enjoy [[Atchoo! The Complete Guide To Good Manners by Mij Kelly and Mary McQuillan]]. For wide-eyed silliness, check out [[Dear Miss by Amy Husband]].  We also enjoyed [[How to Save a Superhero by Caryl Hart and Ed Eaves]].  If you'd like something Christmassy from Hart, try [[The Princess and the Christmas Rescue by Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton|The Princess and the Christmas Rescue]].

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[[Category:Caryl Hart]]
[[Category:Sarah Horne]]