"What's cool about this is that she'll forever be 10 years old ... and Mathilda, however old she was, she's back with us." ...

The Oklahoma City zoo creates a bronze statue for child star Gayla Peevey known for the iconic 1953 Christmas song "I want a ...

In 1953, Gayla Peevey used the popularity of her hit "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" to help the OKC Zoo get its first hippo. Mathilda.

In 1953, Gayla Peevey used the popularity of her hit "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" to help the OKC Zoo get its first hippo. Mathilda.

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" had reached No. 24 on the Billboard Music Chart that year. And Oklahoma's own 10-year-old singer Gayla Peevey became a holiday sensation.

An Oklahoma Christmas music legend is getting some permanent recognition, as the OKC Zoo is honoring Gayla Peevey with a statue of her and her beloved Christmas gift.

When Gayla Peevey's catchy Christmas wish for a hippopotamus came true in 1953, she didn't need to test the lyrical theory that a two-car garage would have plenty of room to house her "hippo hero ...