Palm Springs, CA

Offered in bilingual versions including Spanish, Hmong, and Swahili alongside English; The Skinny Hippo children’s book series follows a timid hippo born skinny and navigating childhood emotions. Book one addresses self-esteem and book two tackles fear. Book two titled ‘Waleed the Skinny Hippo: Being Brave’ takes Waleed on a journey to join his friends through the jungle, where he is mentored by a kind elephant who changes his perspective about his surroundings.

“The concept for Waleed came together as I was thinking about stories I would like to tell my grandchildren that would address how to handle certain emotions and overcome obstacles,” says Denis. “A seemingly emaciated hippopotamus, opposite the robust form of his peers, became an easy conduit for those fables dealing with feelings of otherness. Swahili is an officially recognized language in Tanzania, where the hippo character originates. ‘Waleed,’ in Swahili, means ‘he who hides.’ Waleed became the perfect name for this introverted character afraid of his own shadow.”

The journey to put Waleed in print began at the height of the pandemic. Face-to-face meetings between Denis and the right illustrator were out of the question. Thus began a long process of combing freelance artist websites around the world. Jubayda Sagor, a seasoned children’s book illustrator from Bangladesh, joined the project in 2021. Native Swahili, Hmong, and Spanish speakers were later hired to translate. In early 2022, the first bilingual book ‘Waleed The Skinny Hippo’ was released in English and Swahili. Shortly after, Spanish-English and Hmong-English versions were released.

Book Two: Waleed – Being Brave is now available in Hmong, Swahili, and Spanish duos with English. Denis looks forward to more adventures that teach this adorable and sensitive hippo about life, self-esteem, and relationships.

Bio: Author Denis J. LaComb

Over the last fifteen years, Denis J. LaComb has covered numerous genres as a writer. He’s written novels, novellas, poetry, television and movie scripts, newspaper articles, and over 600 blogs. Denis and his wife, Sharon, divide their time between Minnesota and Southern California with long layovers in Colorado where three of their five grandchildren reside.