The Hippopotamus’ Shoes

30 magical poems full of surprises and wonder for the little things that fill life with meaning and the rest that is certainly not meaningless… David Dumortier’s 4th book with Møtus is a collection of poetry that is full of originality, invention and inspiration and Pierre Pratt’s delightfully sweet and silly illustrations are the perfect accompaniment.

​David Dumortier holds a special place in the world of adult and children’s literature, where his books have been particularly applauded and even adapted for the stage. His imaginative and poetic style can be found in all his books, including Achète Achète Achète, Le Jeu de la Bonne Aventure or Yi et Yo. David Dumortier lives in Paris.

Pierre Pratt studied graphic design in Montreal, and began working as an illustrator in the 80s in comic books before working for various magazines. Since 1990, he illustrates (and also writes) children’s books… there are now nearly 50 to his name. He has won several prizes including the Governor General’s Award in Canada (three times), a Golden Apple and a Golden plaque in Bratislava, A Totem at the Montreuil book fair, a Unicef Prize in Bologne, the Elizabeth Cleaver prize from IBBY, the M. Christie book prize, the Trois-Rivières book fair prize, an Honor Book from Boston Globe Horn Book Awards. He also represented Canada as a finaliste for the Andersen Prize in 2008. This is the second book he’s illustrated for Møtus, following the beautiful picture book, Quelques Battements d’Ailes. Pierre Pratt lives in Montréal.