It was done as a series of 38 paintings of wildlife varying from lions to garter snakes. They all showed the adult with its offspring and were commissioned by Scholastic Book Services to be used as finger puppets. Künstler still has most of the originals. His children had selected some to hang in their rooms. Now they are hanging in their children’s rooms!
Hippopotamus means “river horse.” The largest hippo wieghs 4 tons, but it can float. It can also sink down and then swim or walk about on the bottom of a lake. Its nostrils close so it can stay under water for several minutes. On land the hippo runs as fast as a man. Female and juvenile hippos live in herds. Males each have a separate territory surrounding the area of the herd. A mother has one calf at a time that weighs about 100 pounds. It can swim before it walks. Wild in Africa, hippos live 30 to 35 years. In captivity, one lived 50 years.
