Hippo and Friends is a three-level pre-school course for 3-5 year-olds. It uses a song and story-based approach to introduce language to children in a way that comes naturally at this age. Actions and activities further reinforce learning. The course is packed full of illustrations which immediately engage and delight young learners. The four lovable characters, Hippo, Monkey, Dog and Cat, provide a safe and friendly setting for each English lesson. The stories in each unit are designed to encourage positive attitudes in children such as helping others and sharing. There are also optional extra units on festivals such as Christmas, Easter and Halloween in the Teacher's Book. At the end of each unit children have the opportunity to make a simple 'storybook' which they can take home with them. This takes English outside the classroom and enables parents to be involved in the learning process.