Hippo Tale Elicits Reader Gasps, Danielynn Birkhead Brings Smiles

By Stephen M. Silverman

05/11/2013 at 08:00 AM EDT

Winfried Wisniewski/Getty

Model-in-the-making Danielynn Birkhead, the late Anna Nicole Smith's 6½-year-old daughter, prompted an outpouring of oohs and ahs this week when she dressed up like a favorite Disney heroine for the Kentucky Derby, while the gasps were strictly reserved for the amazing tale of the man who served as a hippo's dinner – and then survived to tell his tale.

Here are the five stories that sparked the strongest reactions from readers over this past week – the news that made you happy, sad, laugh out loud, awestruck, even angry.

In the meantime, don't forget to keep clicking on the emoticons at the bottom of every story – your way of telling us exactly what you think.

Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, move over. Danielynn Birkhead and her dad, Larry Birkhead, got all dolled up as Mary Poppins and her old pal Bert for last weekend's big horserace in Louisville. Readers adored their "Jolly Holiday" looks.

Travel guide Paul Templer got swallowed up – by a male hippopotamus! – in a river near Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls. He barely escaped, only to be attacked by the beast again. A remarkable tale.

Perhaps being angry over what Kim Kardashian wore to this week's Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala might be overreacting, but readers clearly had strong opinions about her custom Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci number, fashioned from a floral printed jersey. Talk about Flower Power.

A sad goodbye was wished TV favorite Jeanne Cooper, the Young and Restless star who died at 84 on Wednesday. She'd played grande dame Katherine Chancellor on the CBS daytime soap for nearly four decades.

How could Nick Lachey not leave you laughing? He joked that the one thing he misses about no longer being married to Jessica Simpson is "I don't have to play grab a–– under the table on Easter Sunday" with her dad, Joe Simpson. He was kidding, right?

Be sure to check back next week for another must-read roundup. Until then, see what readers are reacting to every day by clicking here.