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elainegl's review against another edition
5.0
Gorilla is a bitter-sweet story about a lonely little girl who is neglected by her busy father (and obviously has no mother at home). She loves gorillas and desperately wants one for her birthday. She doesn't get exactly what she wants, but it all turns out well. Anthony Browne is a new writer/illustrator to me and I just love him! There's so much to appreciate in the pictures. The writing is well done also.
aliciagriggs's review against another edition
4.0
A lovely, quite sad story. I like that the character at least acknowledged that zoos were sad, but I still wish it was a sanctuary they visited instead of an animal prison. Nevertheless, a nice book.
allmadhere106's review against another edition
5.0
I pretty much love everything that Anthony Browne does. In this book, Hannah has a deep love for gorillas and she has asked her father for a gorilla for her birthday. She doesn't see her father very often--he seems to be a single father and he works near constantly which tires him out and leaves Hannah feeling alone. The night before her birthday, however, something wonderful and miraculous happens which changes everything. Part of why Browne continues to be an amazing author/illustrator to this day is because he makes his books thoroughly entertaining for every reader. While the stories are stunning in their own right, the illustrations are breathtaking. They are filled with hidden pictures and hints about the story that beg for rereading. Excellent.
kinsey304's review against another edition
4.0
_Gorilla_ is a Kate Greenaway Medal winner. I thought Gorilla was a very cute story. I think this book is appropriate for preschool-kindergarten (ages 4-6) because it is a simple storyline. However, based on the illustrations, I think it would be appropriate for children up to third grade because they can analyze different aspects of the illustration. I would use this book in a classroom to entertain younger children or to teach older children the aspect of perspective in picture books.
The illustrations heavily use perspective in each one. This is first noticeable in the kitchen when Hannah appears closest to the reader, and her father appears further away. This indicates that the point of view is focused on Hannah. One thing I noticed was the use of color and perspective to indicate Hannah's personality. When she is watching TV, the entire room is dark and gloomy except for the area around her which is colorful and full of butterflies and flowers. The illustrations do not run through the gutter. The right side of each page is a single page illustration, but there is a small illustration on the page with the words. This sort of shows the reader the order of events, the small illustration occurring first in the storyline. The illustrations are heavily detailed, which I believe speaks to a use of the style of realism. This is extremely evident when Hannah and the gorilla are at the zoo looking at the primates. The medium used appears to be a mixed media of watercolors, possibly gouache, and pencil. The colors are softer, but there are very distinct details and fine lines that appear to be done with pencil. One thing I noticed was when Hannah and the Gorilla were walking back there was what appear to be a Guerrilla movement poster. I thought this was very interesting to throw into the illustrations.
The illustrations heavily use perspective in each one. This is first noticeable in the kitchen when Hannah appears closest to the reader, and her father appears further away. This indicates that the point of view is focused on Hannah. One thing I noticed was the use of color and perspective to indicate Hannah's personality. When she is watching TV, the entire room is dark and gloomy except for the area around her which is colorful and full of butterflies and flowers. The illustrations do not run through the gutter. The right side of each page is a single page illustration, but there is a small illustration on the page with the words. This sort of shows the reader the order of events, the small illustration occurring first in the storyline. The illustrations are heavily detailed, which I believe speaks to a use of the style of realism. This is extremely evident when Hannah and the gorilla are at the zoo looking at the primates. The medium used appears to be a mixed media of watercolors, possibly gouache, and pencil. The colors are softer, but there are very distinct details and fine lines that appear to be done with pencil. One thing I noticed was when Hannah and the Gorilla were walking back there was what appear to be a Guerrilla movement poster. I thought this was very interesting to throw into the illustrations.
babayagareads's review against another edition
5.0
My father read me this over and over as a little girl. We used to search for the hidden gorillas throughout the book. It's a lovely read about family, fatherhood, and childlike wonder.
snowelf's review against another edition
4.0
I was feeling a little ambivalent about this story, and my little boy also seemed, while interested, not too drawn in. There's a sad feel to it, and he probably didn't relate. But it may be more suitable for an early reader as a book to read by yourself, to let the imagination roam without the interference of your parent. This said, I liked the illustrations and I'm very intrigued by [a:Anthony Browne's|35335|Anthony Browne|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1272902188p2/35335.jpg] other titles, and I will be seeking them out.
maireador20's review against another edition
4.0
A touching story about a lonely little girl who longs for her Dad to spend time with her. Heart wrenching and beautifully illustrated this is a perfect read aloud for children aged 5+ but would be particularly beneficial for used with older pupils (9+) where it could be used as a springboard for discussions on loneliness, the ethics of keeping animals in zoos, family relationships and more. It could also be used as a prop for close examinations of the 'gorilla-fied' details in the pictures as part of an art history lesson.
thatokiebird's review against another edition
2.0
(Read with little sister as part of the "1,001 Children's Books To Read")
The adventure that the girl and gorilla had and it was nice that her dad did take her to the zoo at the end.
The adventure that the girl and gorilla had and it was nice that her dad did take her to the zoo at the end.
jbet2011's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this was an ok story, it was a little depressing at the beginning, but I liked the general idea.
It is a really good example of a picture storybook. The illustrations accompany the text very well and really bring it to life. It uses simple language and has all of the basic literary elements- theme, plot, characters and setting but none of them are very developed, which is typical for a children's book since the purpose is to introduce these concepts and not have them be distracting or too complex.
Its clear, uncluttered illustrations and easy to follow story makes it a good book for young children. The little girl in the book feeling like her father is too busy for her is an issue that many children may be feeling themselves, so they can relate to the story which is important in keeping them engaged.
This is a good book to use with children to talk about their feelings and also encourage imagination. Talking about the girl's night with the gorilla encourages children to use their imagination and gives kids the opportunity to talk about situations when they use their imaginations.
It is a really good example of a picture storybook. The illustrations accompany the text very well and really bring it to life. It uses simple language and has all of the basic literary elements- theme, plot, characters and setting but none of them are very developed, which is typical for a children's book since the purpose is to introduce these concepts and not have them be distracting or too complex.
Its clear, uncluttered illustrations and easy to follow story makes it a good book for young children. The little girl in the book feeling like her father is too busy for her is an issue that many children may be feeling themselves, so they can relate to the story which is important in keeping them engaged.
This is a good book to use with children to talk about their feelings and also encourage imagination. Talking about the girl's night with the gorilla encourages children to use their imagination and gives kids the opportunity to talk about situations when they use their imaginations.
mw_bookgraph's review against another edition
4.0
I would take my kid to the zoo!! Kind of a sad story.