Rae Norridge

Rae Norridge is a children's author and wildlife artist, best known for the Hilmy the Hippo series of illustrated picture books, which introduce young readers to Islamic moral and spiritual values through gentle, animal-led stories set on the African savannah. The series follows Hilmy, a cheerful young hippopotamus, as he meets everyday situations that teach a single virtue in each volume. Titles include Hilmy the Hippo Learns to be Grateful, Learns to Share, Learns not to Lie, Learns About Vanity, Learns About Death, and Learns About Creation, alongside Hilmy the Hippo Becomes a Hero. The books are published by the Islamic Foundation, the long-established British Islamic publisher, and are aimed at children roughly six to eight years old and above. Norridge's stories pair straightforward narratives with warm, full-color illustrations, presenting lessons in gratitude, generosity, honesty, humility, and reflection on creation and mortality in a way accessible to early readers. The series has become a familiar fixture on the shelves of Islamic bookshops and homes, valued by parents and teachers seeking faith-rooted character education delivered through storytelling rather than instruction. Born and educated in South Africa, Norridge trained in fine art and developed a lifelong love of African wildlife before relocating to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, where she settled in rural Leicestershire. Detailed personal biographical information is not widely published, but her work is well known within the field of Islamic children's literature.