"There's More to Hippos Than You Know" Author David Parmalee, on the Sunbury Press Books Show Artwork

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"There's More to Hippos Than You Know" Author David Parmalee, on the Sunbury Press Books Show

July 31, 2026

0:00 | 25:54

How do we see the animals we love (and perhaps do not)? Through human eyes, these come about with the help of science, but also the vision of artists, and in the case of the guest in this episode, poetry.

David Parmalee has combined all three for children (and their parents) in There's More to Hippos Than You Know ~ 25 Poems about Real Animals with Hundreds of Fun Facts. These short poems, humorous and genuine, tell about the animals, both familiar and foreign, such as the bunny, the Dachshund, the moray eel, and of course, the hippopotamus. The stories behind these animals are told, with knowledge and things you might not have known. For example: did you know the komodo dragon was the inspiration for King Kong?

An author, educator, playwright, director, actor, and columnist, David Parmalee's work includes a Civil War-era historical novel, The Sea is a Thief, two upper-grade children's works, Miss Feesenschneezen Is Ill, and Miss Feesenschneezen Is Fit, with illustrator Maria deCerce, and The Traveler's Guide to Chincoteague and Assateague. Educated at Brown University, Parmalee has written 13 one-act plays, all produced by the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the Gaslight Theatre, and the Scranton Fringe Festival, also in PA. Find out more about his works here. David and his wife, Toni Jo live in Northeast Pennsylvania.