On January 24, 2017, Fiona the hippo was born at the Cincinnati Zoo, six weeks before her due date. She weighed only 29 pounds, which is very small for a Nile hippo. She was too weak to stand and nurse from her mother, so Fiona received around-the-clock attention from the zoo’s animal care staff, dubbed “Team Fiona,” and even from nurses at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
The whole world watched as Fiona learned to eat, walk, and swim. Her challenges were big, but the baby hippo’s spunk and incredible will helped her prevail time and again. Since her birth, millions of people from around the world have been pulling for Fiona to keep fighting.
As she grew stronger so did her social media following. Fiona became an internet sensation and now even has her own show on Facebook. Fiona fans have traveled from as far away as Australia, Germany, Brazil, and Japan just to get a glimpse of the fearless and feisty hippopotamus.
Now the star of her own picture book, Fiona takes center stage once again in a whimsical story inspired by her incredible journey. A heroine for children (and adults!) everywhere, fabulous Fiona will steal readers’ hearts and give them the courage to face whatever challenges they might have in their own lives.
–Barbara Herndon, Zonderkidz Sr. Acquisitions Editor
Learn more about the new Fiona the Hippo be here!