News and Stories

CINCINNATI, OH (October 9, 2017) – Fiona® , the eight-month-old hippo born prematurely at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, has captured hearts around the world. Millions of people followed her precarious early days when she and Zoo staff fought for her survival with extraordinary tenacity and creativity. The result was not only a healthy hippo baby but also an Internet sensation, the best-known and best-loved hippo in the world.

Now you can take home the heartwarming story of the little hippo via a new book called Hip, Hippo, Hooray for Fiona! The photographic biography chronicles the celebrity hippo’s first days, from her surprise early arrival in winter through her intensive medical care, then through her first spring and summer when she learned to live as a hippo, met her parents, and met her fans.

“Fiona’s chances for survival were as tiny as she was,” says Cincinnati writer Jan Sherbin, who authored the book with an eye toward making Fiona’s story accessible to small children and also a warm memory for parents and grandparents reading the book to them. “Millions of people around the world became emotionally invested in the little hippo’s journey and pulled for her. The devotion of Fiona’s caregivers inspired them, and the close animal-human bond enchanted them.”

The author encapsulates this special time so readers can re-live the inspiration and enchantment for years to come. Telling Fiona’s story through 65 Cincinnati Zoo photos, Hip, Hippo, Hooray for Fiona! serves as both a children’s book and family keepsake album.

Hip, Hippo, Hooray for Fiona! is available for pre-order at bookstores nationally. In the Cincinnati area that includes Joseph-Beth in-store and is also available on Amazon.

The 40-page hardcover book is made in the United States with ISBN 978-0-692-94935-1 and a cover price of $25.99. A portion of proceeds from sale of the book goes to the Cincinnati Zoo to help it continue its world-class work.