What do you think?
Rate this book
Gorilla
Anthony Browne’s incomparable artwork illuminates the deeply satisfying story of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla, and their enchanted night out.
Hannah spends all of her time reading gorilla books, watching gorilla TV shows, and drawing gorilla pictures. She has gorillas on her bedside lamp
and even on her box of cereal. Hannah loves gorillas and longs to see a real one, but her father is always too busy - or too tired - to take her to the zoo. Then, on the night before her birthday, something extraordinary happens - and Hannah’s wish comes gloriously true.
Hannah spends all of her time reading gorilla books, watching gorilla TV shows, and drawing gorilla pictures. She has gorillas on her bedside lamp
and even on her box of cereal. Hannah loves gorillas and longs to see a real one, but her father is always too busy - or too tired - to take her to the zoo. Then, on the night before her birthday, something extraordinary happens - and Hannah’s wish comes gloriously true.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
About the author
Anthony Browne
134 books274 followersAnthony Browne, a Hans Christian Andersen Medalist, is the author-illustrator of many acclaimed books for children, including Silly Billy and Little Beauty. He lives in Kent, England.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews
September 22, 2020
One of the great aspect of being a parent is looking through the kids section and getting all nostalgic for so many books from my childhood.
The best part with revisiting these is seeing the deeper meanings that you might have missed as a kid...
Hannah is obsessed with Gorillas, so much so that she is desperate to visit the zoo.
Unfortunately her dad is either tired or busy from work that his unable to take her.
The night before her birthday she asks for a gorilla and is suprise to find a stuffed toy as a present on her bed.
The toy magically grows into a real life gorilla and adopts the father figure role by taking Hannah to all the places she'd hoped to visit.
He even wears her dad's coat!
Themes of childhood loneliness is very strong in the first half of the story and whilst Hannah dreams of trips to both the zoo and cinema, it's nice that she actually gets an even better treat on her birthday.
Beautifully illustrated whilst tackling important social issues.
With this being a 30th anniversary edition, it really was really impressive that Browne was happy to tackle the importance of the father/daughter relationship what seems ahead of it's time.
The best part with revisiting these is seeing the deeper meanings that you might have missed as a kid...
Hannah is obsessed with Gorillas, so much so that she is desperate to visit the zoo.
Unfortunately her dad is either tired or busy from work that his unable to take her.
The night before her birthday she asks for a gorilla and is suprise to find a stuffed toy as a present on her bed.
The toy magically grows into a real life gorilla and adopts the father figure role by taking Hannah to all the places she'd hoped to visit.
He even wears her dad's coat!
Themes of childhood loneliness is very strong in the first half of the story and whilst Hannah dreams of trips to both the zoo and cinema, it's nice that she actually gets an even better treat on her birthday.
Beautifully illustrated whilst tackling important social issues.
With this being a 30th anniversary edition, it really was really impressive that Browne was happy to tackle the importance of the father/daughter relationship what seems ahead of it's time.
December 9, 2014
This was charming book of a young girl who loved all things gorilla and wanted little more than to see one in person. But her father had to work hard to support her and often did not seem to have a lot of time to entertain her. As we all know, birthdays can be a magical, special time for children and young Hannah is no exception. Heartwarming and sweet.
I must admit there are a few scenes that had me arching my eyebrow at what she was up in the way of questionable behavior, but the end explains everything nicely. Overall, I was pleased with this book. Great discussion opportunities as well for parents and kids. 3 1/2 stars
I must admit there are a few scenes that had me arching my eyebrow at what she was up in the way of questionable behavior, but the end explains everything nicely. Overall, I was pleased with this book. Great discussion opportunities as well for parents and kids. 3 1/2 stars
February 26, 2022
Hannah is obsessed with gorillas but never has seen one in person. Her father is too busy or too tired to take her to the zoo. On her birthday, she meets a gorilla who invites her to the zoo. What a marvelous time she had! Excellent graphics. I felt I was in the Planet of the Apes for kids. 4.5 stars.
September 20, 2011
Gorilla by Anthony Browne.
I am amazed that I have never come across this book before! Only just having read it, I was immediately transported back to childhood days of vulnerability, ambivalence and let-downs, but also days of fantasy filled adventures, fun and love.
This emotive and endearing book tells the humbling story of Hannah, a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. Left to her own devices a lot of the time, Hannah spends her days reading about gorillas, watching gorillas on television and drawing pictures of gorillas. But she has NEVER seen a real gorilla!! Her father doesn’t have time to take her to the zoo; he doesn’t have time for anything!
The night before her birthday, Hannah goes to bed ‘tingling with excitement’- she has asked her dad for a gorilla! Hannah wakes during the night to find that yet again she has been disappointed by Dad, she has been given a small toy gorilla instead of a real one. In utter frustration and dismay Hannah throws the gorilla aside and goes back to sleep. Once again she wakes but this time something magical happens! A real gorilla appears at the foot of her bed ready to sweep her up in his arms and take her on a birthday adventure! The gorilla and Hannah do all the things that Daddy and Hannah were supposed to do.
The next morning a very excited Hannah rushes downstairs to tell Daddy all about her adventure, but before she can say anything Daddy wishes her a Happy Birthday and asks her if she’d like to go to the zoo! Hannah is extremely happy.
Although very sad at the beginning I found this story to be refreshingly honest and deeply gratifying. Exploring feelings such as loneliness, anxiety, excitement and contentment, through simple effective text and beautifully persuasive illustrations, Browne creates a real sense of what it is like to be a child.
I think ‘Gorilla’ would be well suited to children between 4-7 years old. The story may be sad but it is also exciting and full of adventure with gorilla himself coming to life! The language within the text is not too complex and is well supported by detailed illustrations making it suitable for any child learning to read or being read to. This book is a great way for children to explore their own feelings and the feelings of others and would assist greatly in the social and emotional development process.
I am amazed that I have never come across this book before! Only just having read it, I was immediately transported back to childhood days of vulnerability, ambivalence and let-downs, but also days of fantasy filled adventures, fun and love.
This emotive and endearing book tells the humbling story of Hannah, a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. Left to her own devices a lot of the time, Hannah spends her days reading about gorillas, watching gorillas on television and drawing pictures of gorillas. But she has NEVER seen a real gorilla!! Her father doesn’t have time to take her to the zoo; he doesn’t have time for anything!
The night before her birthday, Hannah goes to bed ‘tingling with excitement’- she has asked her dad for a gorilla! Hannah wakes during the night to find that yet again she has been disappointed by Dad, she has been given a small toy gorilla instead of a real one. In utter frustration and dismay Hannah throws the gorilla aside and goes back to sleep. Once again she wakes but this time something magical happens! A real gorilla appears at the foot of her bed ready to sweep her up in his arms and take her on a birthday adventure! The gorilla and Hannah do all the things that Daddy and Hannah were supposed to do.
The next morning a very excited Hannah rushes downstairs to tell Daddy all about her adventure, but before she can say anything Daddy wishes her a Happy Birthday and asks her if she’d like to go to the zoo! Hannah is extremely happy.
Although very sad at the beginning I found this story to be refreshingly honest and deeply gratifying. Exploring feelings such as loneliness, anxiety, excitement and contentment, through simple effective text and beautifully persuasive illustrations, Browne creates a real sense of what it is like to be a child.
I think ‘Gorilla’ would be well suited to children between 4-7 years old. The story may be sad but it is also exciting and full of adventure with gorilla himself coming to life! The language within the text is not too complex and is well supported by detailed illustrations making it suitable for any child learning to read or being read to. This book is a great way for children to explore their own feelings and the feelings of others and would assist greatly in the social and emotional development process.
December 18, 2018
I can remember loving this book when I was a child! However, discussing this in a seminar has made me realise there is so much more to this book that I realised! The book contains many of Doonan’s picture codes, especially the use of colour to depict emotion, and it would be interesting to discuss thesewith children to see if they can identify some of the different codes. I think the interpretation that the monkey is in fact the girls father is an interesting one, and I would love to see if children could recognise this. To me this book exemplifies that it’s all about the simple things in life, and that’s a message that I would love to pass on to children.
December 17, 2020
A lovely story about how a lonely and neglected girl living with her father finds comfort and joy in the thing she loves the most, gorillas!
After days of being alone, eagerly waiting for the attention from her very busy father, Hannah's toy gorilla becomes real and takes her on an adventure to the zoo, the cinema, a restaurant and the evening ends with a dance on the lawn. To Hannah's surprise, her birthday wish comes true as her father is waiting to take her to the zoo the next morning!
Anthony Browne, like in all of his books, has used the technique of book coding in order to convey some really deep and meaningful messages regarding what kind of person Hannah and her father are, what they're feeling - themes which are not conveyed through words - therefore with older children, it would be lovely to dissect the images and identify what children think about what the author wants to convey.
At first when reading this book, I was saddened by the nature of Hannah and her father's relationship and the impact it was having on her however the ending was a heart-warming surprise where Hannah gets what she really wanted all along, love and attention from her father!
After days of being alone, eagerly waiting for the attention from her very busy father, Hannah's toy gorilla becomes real and takes her on an adventure to the zoo, the cinema, a restaurant and the evening ends with a dance on the lawn. To Hannah's surprise, her birthday wish comes true as her father is waiting to take her to the zoo the next morning!
Anthony Browne, like in all of his books, has used the technique of book coding in order to convey some really deep and meaningful messages regarding what kind of person Hannah and her father are, what they're feeling - themes which are not conveyed through words - therefore with older children, it would be lovely to dissect the images and identify what children think about what the author wants to convey.
At first when reading this book, I was saddened by the nature of Hannah and her father's relationship and the impact it was having on her however the ending was a heart-warming surprise where Hannah gets what she really wanted all along, love and attention from her father!
February 4, 2020
The illustrations here are sublime; there's real heart in them and they are incredibly lifelike in a way that's almost eerie. I'd have been happy to just drink them in, but the story is very touching too, which makes for an enormously satisfying read. The titular gorilla also looks very dashing in a hat and coat...
September 7, 2011
This was always one of my favourite books as a young reader and probably even before I could read it myself!
I think Anothy Browne has explored a number of issues and anxieties experienced by most children in a imaginative, enchanting and magical way in this book- and the fact that this is all done within 30 pages is an absolute triumph.
'Gorilla' is a short story about Hannah, a young girl who is obsessed with all things gorilla. The story implies that Hannah is from a single-parent family (although this is not mentioned explicitly) and whose father is always busy because of how hard he works. I don't want to spoil the story for you (because even as an adult, it's still a wonderful narrative), but Browne explores Hannah's fellings of loneliness, rejection and disappointment in the first part of the text. The second part of the text consists of a wonderful fantasy- classic childhood adventure material. The final part of the book is a happy ending of love and contentment.
The text itself features relatively complex sentance structures so is ideal to read to a very young child or great to use to develope the reading skills of a more accomplished reader.
The illustrations in this book are exquisite. The amount of attention lavished on texture and detail in every illustration is rarely seen in childrens books and further enrich the enchanted world that Browne transports us to with his narrative.
And lets not forget the anthropomorphic gorilla... surely this alone would make any child want to pick up this book and read it!
I think Anothy Browne has explored a number of issues and anxieties experienced by most children in a imaginative, enchanting and magical way in this book- and the fact that this is all done within 30 pages is an absolute triumph.
'Gorilla' is a short story about Hannah, a young girl who is obsessed with all things gorilla. The story implies that Hannah is from a single-parent family (although this is not mentioned explicitly) and whose father is always busy because of how hard he works. I don't want to spoil the story for you (because even as an adult, it's still a wonderful narrative), but Browne explores Hannah's fellings of loneliness, rejection and disappointment in the first part of the text. The second part of the text consists of a wonderful fantasy- classic childhood adventure material. The final part of the book is a happy ending of love and contentment.
The text itself features relatively complex sentance structures so is ideal to read to a very young child or great to use to develope the reading skills of a more accomplished reader.
The illustrations in this book are exquisite. The amount of attention lavished on texture and detail in every illustration is rarely seen in childrens books and further enrich the enchanted world that Browne transports us to with his narrative.
And lets not forget the anthropomorphic gorilla... surely this alone would make any child want to pick up this book and read it!
May 14, 2019
Hannah loved gorillas. She loved reading about them, looking at films about them, and drawing them. Unfortunately, her hard-working and rather distant father never seemed to have the time to take her to the zoo to see them live. He was always busy working in the evenings, or too tired at the weekend. Then, on the night before her birthday, Hannah dreams that the toy gorilla her father has given her comes to life and takes her on a magical night-time trip to the zoo, the movies, and a restaurant. It's a wonderful experience, but no more wonderful than her father's offer, the next day, to go to the zoo together...
Originally published in 1983, and then reprinted in this 30th Anniversary Edition, featuring new cover art drawn by author/artist Anthony Browne, Gorilla is a Kate Greenaway Medal winner, and a classic of modern British picture-books. It offers a sensitive and ultimately heartwarming depiction of a lonely young girl who longs, not just to see some live gorillas, but to connect with her seemingly uncaring father. The satisfaction of both of those desires makes for an immensely engaging reading experience, one that features an enchanting dream sequence - or is it a dream? - and an equally engaging "real life" story-line. The artwork, done in watercolor, is intensely engaging, capturing the emotional trajectory of the story perfectly. The use of light and shadow is particularly adept, as is the range of expressions on Hannah's face. Recommended to young gorilla lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories about dreams, birthdays, and father-daughter relationships.
Originally published in 1983, and then reprinted in this 30th Anniversary Edition, featuring new cover art drawn by author/artist Anthony Browne, Gorilla is a Kate Greenaway Medal winner, and a classic of modern British picture-books. It offers a sensitive and ultimately heartwarming depiction of a lonely young girl who longs, not just to see some live gorillas, but to connect with her seemingly uncaring father. The satisfaction of both of those desires makes for an immensely engaging reading experience, one that features an enchanting dream sequence - or is it a dream? - and an equally engaging "real life" story-line. The artwork, done in watercolor, is intensely engaging, capturing the emotional trajectory of the story perfectly. The use of light and shadow is particularly adept, as is the range of expressions on Hannah's face. Recommended to young gorilla lovers, and to anyone looking for children's stories about dreams, birthdays, and father-daughter relationships.
July 2, 2021
هفتمین کتاب از ده کتاب کلاسیک کودک منتخب پیتر هانت/
این کتاب برعکس شرلی به نظرم خیلی از دید بزرگسالانه ای داشت روایت میشد، تنهایی بچهای که پدرش نمیتونه باهاش وقت بگذرونه، با تصویرسازی های قوی و گوریلهای بامزه اینور اونور.
این کتاب برعکس شرلی به نظرم خیلی از دید بزرگسالانه ای داشت روایت میشد، تنهایی بچهای که پدرش نمیتونه باهاش وقت بگذرونه، با تصویرسازی های قوی و گوریلهای بامزه اینور اونور.
October 10, 2017
A heart felt story of a girl who longs for Dad to not be 'too tired' to talk or play with her after a long day at work. Feeling lonely the night before her birthday, her love for gorilla's takes her on a magical dream to the zoo! But when she wakes up she has an even better adventure awaiting her.
October 11, 2019
This book focuses on some really important themes around father figures, which is a common theme in Anthony Browne books. The gorilla in the story becomes a father figure to hannah which is shown through animations and the similarity between activities.
August 16, 2015
Surprisingly I had never come across this emotional and engaging story before.
‘Gorilla’ tells the story of a young girl called Hannah who only wants nothing more but to spend some quality and valuable time with her father but Hannah’s father never seem to have time for her, so she is often left alone.
Within the first part of the story Browne explores Hannah’s feelings of disappointment, loneliness and loss but the second part of the story is very magical and the reader is transported into an enchanted journey of happiness and love.
The story is ideal for KS1, Browne allows children to explore their own thoughts, feelings and experiences and the beautifully illustrated story allows children to express their ideas through creative activity in response to Browne’s illustrations.
‘Gorilla’ tells the story of a young girl called Hannah who only wants nothing more but to spend some quality and valuable time with her father but Hannah’s father never seem to have time for her, so she is often left alone.
Within the first part of the story Browne explores Hannah’s feelings of disappointment, loneliness and loss but the second part of the story is very magical and the reader is transported into an enchanted journey of happiness and love.
The story is ideal for KS1, Browne allows children to explore their own thoughts, feelings and experiences and the beautifully illustrated story allows children to express their ideas through creative activity in response to Browne’s illustrations.
September 26, 2019
This story really captures my heart, especially the lonely little girl and how great that the Gorilla comes along and saves the day! Also amazing illustration by Anthony Browne, allowing so much to talk about in terms of the lightening and background illustrations. I also really liked the page that portrayed the gorillas all trapped in the small cage, as it allows for a PHSE around zoo's and animal cruelty.
August 5, 2019
Hannah loves gorillas. Unfortunately, the one person she wishes to shares this love with, her father, is often too busy to spend time with her. On the night before her birthday, Hannah receives a very special visit from her toy gorilla that magically transforms and is into a life-sized gorilla. Hannah and the gorilla go on magical adventures that evening. They visit the zoo, go to the cinema, for food, and even dance on the lawn outside the house- all things that Hannah longs to do with her father... The next morning, Hannah rushes downstairs to tell her father about her magical night and he offers to take her to the zoo for her birthday. This makes her very, very happy. Hannah's heartwarming story reminds readers to enjoy the smaller things in life and to enjoy every moment with those that we love. It also could ring true with many children, whose own parents may struggle to find lots of free time when balancing work-home relationships. For this reason, I think this book is most suited to 6-7 year olds as they may be slightly more able to analyse and understand the gorilla-as-an-absent-father-figure story line.
October 14, 2020
This fantastic book tells the story of a lonely girl who longs for her Dad to spend time with her. She has a great fascination with gorillas and one night she is visited by one. He takes her on a magical adventure, filling in for the paternal role and playing the part of the father she longs for.
There is so much you can do with this text looking at book and picture codes, from the illustrations and positioning of the characters looking at perspective and hierarchy. To the colours and how the girl is always shown in the light to represent her innocence and child status. The class would compare the gorilla and the dad, drawing attention to the similar clothes and facial hair in the pictures.
There is so much you can do with this text looking at book and picture codes, from the illustrations and positioning of the characters looking at perspective and hierarchy. To the colours and how the girl is always shown in the light to represent her innocence and child status. The class would compare the gorilla and the dad, drawing attention to the similar clothes and facial hair in the pictures.
March 15, 2021
I loved this book because of its impressionable and informative illustrations. I really enjoyed delving into all of the possible meanings through the illustration and texts and figuring out what the author may have been trying to convey through some of these. The use of colours and texture is a clear and expressive way of demonstrating the emotions of the characters to which children are able to relate. I think that the book clearly demonstrates the impression that a significant other can have on a child within their early years. Personally, I am really impressed with how the book clearly shows the sophisticatedness of picture books.
October 27, 2021
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.
April 9, 2019
"Gorilla" was an emotional book to read as a parent. I was holding back tears when I read the story of Hannah who loved gorillas. She tried to share her interest with her dad, but he was always too busy to entertain her requests to visit the zoo. As Hannah's birthday approached, she was hoping her dream of seeing a gorilla in real life would be realized. Hannah was disappointed when she woke up in the night she saw a package at the foot of her bed and it was only a toy gorilla. At night the toy gorilla grew and took her on the adventure she had hoped for. In the morning she awoke satisfied because she had been shown some of the attention she had been denied by her father. That morning her father took her to the zoo for her birthday and her dream of seeing a gorilla in real life with her father was realized.
In a classroom setting, this book would be well used in the K-4th grade setting. Many children will share the feelings Hannah had about parents being too busy to do all the things children would like them to do. This could be a great book for students to work through some of their feelings. Younger readers would enjoy the storyline, where older students could analyze the deeper concepts hidden in the storyline.
In a classroom setting, this book would be well used in the K-4th grade setting. Many children will share the feelings Hannah had about parents being too busy to do all the things children would like them to do. This could be a great book for students to work through some of their feelings. Younger readers would enjoy the storyline, where older students could analyze the deeper concepts hidden in the storyline.
December 16, 2020
Lovely book. Nice, discreet things to discover within the images too; the gorilla Mona Lisa, Gorilla lamp, the banana in dads back pocket. Very evocative images as well, they play on warmth and cold, friendship and loneliness. I like a book with a happy ending too
January 8, 2019
Lovely detailed illustrations, the book may be interpreted in different ways such as a dream.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2021
You can infer a lot from the illustrations which makes it a great book for children who are learning to read as well as those who can
December 27, 2021
Loneliness, family, relationship with parents, finding love and fascination with the gorilla, items/thoughts of comfort, reality vs fantasy, exploring the zoo, use of colours and positioning to denote emotions.
November 18, 2018
This book contains clever illustrations that can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the book. It can also be used to encourage conversation about if the Gorilla actually did grow or not.
April 21, 2020
This forever changed my perception of Gorillas and how appearances can be deceiving. Reminded me of a shortened version of the BFG in terms of the unlikely plot and the adventure that the two share
February 17, 2017
What is the key theme of the story?
This story is of Hannah whom is a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. The story starts off with her not spending much time with her father and being lonely and showing a small sense of neglect in the story with the bland colours. So, she has a dream about a gorilla whom takes over the fatherly figure and as the story progresses the child is happy as she is spending time with her father
What I liked about the book?
What I really liked about this book that was the way in which the child was imagining more and more to help herself with being lonely and the way in which the colours are used to show how the characters are feeling within the book such as the Beginning the colours are dark and bland and there are stripes showing the feelings and emotions then as the story goes on it shows that the child is becoming more cheerful as the colours are brightening up and she is very happy. I also really like how the gorilla is dressed a lot like her father showing the perception of her wanting to be closer to her father and in a page where it was her birthday it shows that the child has drawn a picture of her and her father and the chloths the gorilla was wearing was exactly what she drew her father wearing. The way the colours where through the book really showed me how the images are used to make us understand the thoughts and feelings of the children. It is a really interesting concept to see how images can really tell more of the story than the actual words. Th way in which the character is placed on the page really shows the way in which the character is feeling. There are some really interesting images in the book which show the feelings of the child and the way there are some lines in the images is to show upset and it really draws in the reader to understand and acknowledge how the child is feeling. Some of the images had a frame so it means we are looking into the child’s world and when there isn’t a frame its where we are part of the story and the illustrator really wants to raw us into the story.
What I did not like about the book?
Throughout reading this story I didn’t like the fact that the girl looked isolated and lonely without her father but it does show how the progression of the story is important. I almost don’t like the way the story finished so quickly I feel as though there could have been an extension to the story of what happens to her father and her when they go to the zoo as a further extension to the story. I also didn’t like how the story was rather short I feel as though there could have been a few more words and a few more descriptors in order to describe the story further. Even though the colours and the way the illustrations are drawn are showing us how the girl is feeling it is very hard to see the transition in the colours as her mood changes in my opinion I feel that there could have been an opportunity to slowly lighten up the images in the story to show how she is become even more happier when with the gorilla and how much more happy she was at the end of the story when she was finally spending some time with her dad.
What would I want answers to?
Through this story, I was questioning a few things such as why is the father not talking to his child throughout the beginning book and where is the child’s mother. I was also wondering what the fathers job is as he works when the child is at school and he works at home. I was also wondering what happened at one section of the story as the child didn’t really have dinner it went from her sitting in her room to her then waking up after the dream I felt there was a chunk of the story missing and that there was more that was needing to be said.
What was repeated throughout?
Throughout this book, I felt as though the part about the girls love for gorillas was really repeated through-out the book to show how much she enjoyed gorillas. However, if she didn’t gorillas in the book the title wouldn't be very fitting so I feel that the way in which the theme of gorillas is repeated it is very crucial to the story. the repetition of the girls feelings through the images is key to show the reader what is happening even if they were unable to read the story.
This story is of Hannah whom is a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. The story starts off with her not spending much time with her father and being lonely and showing a small sense of neglect in the story with the bland colours. So, she has a dream about a gorilla whom takes over the fatherly figure and as the story progresses the child is happy as she is spending time with her father
What I liked about the book?
What I really liked about this book that was the way in which the child was imagining more and more to help herself with being lonely and the way in which the colours are used to show how the characters are feeling within the book such as the Beginning the colours are dark and bland and there are stripes showing the feelings and emotions then as the story goes on it shows that the child is becoming more cheerful as the colours are brightening up and she is very happy. I also really like how the gorilla is dressed a lot like her father showing the perception of her wanting to be closer to her father and in a page where it was her birthday it shows that the child has drawn a picture of her and her father and the chloths the gorilla was wearing was exactly what she drew her father wearing. The way the colours where through the book really showed me how the images are used to make us understand the thoughts and feelings of the children. It is a really interesting concept to see how images can really tell more of the story than the actual words. Th way in which the character is placed on the page really shows the way in which the character is feeling. There are some really interesting images in the book which show the feelings of the child and the way there are some lines in the images is to show upset and it really draws in the reader to understand and acknowledge how the child is feeling. Some of the images had a frame so it means we are looking into the child’s world and when there isn’t a frame its where we are part of the story and the illustrator really wants to raw us into the story.
What I did not like about the book?
Throughout reading this story I didn’t like the fact that the girl looked isolated and lonely without her father but it does show how the progression of the story is important. I almost don’t like the way the story finished so quickly I feel as though there could have been an extension to the story of what happens to her father and her when they go to the zoo as a further extension to the story. I also didn’t like how the story was rather short I feel as though there could have been a few more words and a few more descriptors in order to describe the story further. Even though the colours and the way the illustrations are drawn are showing us how the girl is feeling it is very hard to see the transition in the colours as her mood changes in my opinion I feel that there could have been an opportunity to slowly lighten up the images in the story to show how she is become even more happier when with the gorilla and how much more happy she was at the end of the story when she was finally spending some time with her dad.
What would I want answers to?
Through this story, I was questioning a few things such as why is the father not talking to his child throughout the beginning book and where is the child’s mother. I was also wondering what the fathers job is as he works when the child is at school and he works at home. I was also wondering what happened at one section of the story as the child didn’t really have dinner it went from her sitting in her room to her then waking up after the dream I felt there was a chunk of the story missing and that there was more that was needing to be said.
What was repeated throughout?
Throughout this book, I felt as though the part about the girls love for gorillas was really repeated through-out the book to show how much she enjoyed gorillas. However, if she didn’t gorillas in the book the title wouldn't be very fitting so I feel that the way in which the theme of gorillas is repeated it is very crucial to the story. the repetition of the girls feelings through the images is key to show the reader what is happening even if they were unable to read the story.
October 11, 2018
What is the key theme of the story?
This story is of Hannah whom is a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. The story starts off with her not spending much time with her father and being lonely and showing a small sense of neglect in the story with the bland colours. So, she has a dream about a gorilla whom takes over the fatherly figure and as the story progresses the child is happy as she is spending time with her father
What I liked about the book?
What I really liked about this book that was the way in which the child was imagining more and more to help herself with being lonely and the way in which the colours are used to show how the characters are feeling within the book such as the Beginning the colours are dark and bland and there are stripes showing the feelings and emotions then as the story goes on it shows that the child is becoming more cheerful as the colours are brightening up and she is very happy. I also really like how the gorilla is dressed a lot like her father showing the perception of her wanting to be closer to her father and in a page where it was her birthday it shows that the child has drawn a picture of her and her father and the chloths the gorilla was wearing was exactly what she drew her father wearing. The way the colours where through the book really showed me how the images are used to make us understand the thoughts and feelings of the children. It is a really interesting concept to see how images can really tell more of the story than the actual words. Th way in which the character is placed on the page really shows the way in which the character is feeling. There are some really interesting images in the book which show the feelings of the child and the way there are some lines in the images is to show upset and it really draws in the reader to understand and acknowledge how the child is feeling. Some of the images had a frame so it means we are looking into the child’s world and when there isn’t a frame its where we are part of the story and the illustrator really wants to raw us into the story.
What I did not like about the book?
Throughout reading this story I didn’t like the fact that the girl looked isolated and lonely without her father but it does show how the progression of the story is important. I almost don’t like the way the story finished so quickly I feel as though there could have been an extension to the story of what happens to her father and her when they go to the zoo as a further extension to the story. I also didn’t like how the story was rather short I feel as though there could have been a few more words and a few more descriptors in order to describe the story further. Even though the colours and the way the illustrations are drawn are showing us how the girl is feeling it is very hard to see the transition in the colours as her mood changes in my opinion I feel that there could have been an opportunity to slowly lighten up the images in the story to show how she is become even more happier when with the gorilla and how much more happy she was at the end of the story when she was finally spending some time with her dad.
What would I want answers to?
Through this story, I was questioning a few things such as why is the father not talking to his child throughout the beginning book and where is the child’s mother. I was also wondering what the fathers job is as he works when the child is at school and he works at home. I was also wondering what happened at one section of the story as the child didn’t really have dinner it went from her sitting in her room to her then waking up after the dream I felt there was a chunk of the story missing and that there was more that was needing to be said.
What was repeated throughout?
Throughout this book, I felt as though the part about the girls love for gorillas was really repeated through-out the book to show how much she enjoyed gorillas. However, if she didn’t gorillas in the book the title wouldn't be very fitting so I feel that the way in which the theme of gorillas is repeated it is very crucial to the story. the repetition of the girls feelings through the images is key to show the reader what is happening even if they were unable to read the story.
This story is of Hannah whom is a little girl, who wants nothing more but to spend quality time with her very busy father. The story starts off with her not spending much time with her father and being lonely and showing a small sense of neglect in the story with the bland colours. So, she has a dream about a gorilla whom takes over the fatherly figure and as the story progresses the child is happy as she is spending time with her father
What I liked about the book?
What I really liked about this book that was the way in which the child was imagining more and more to help herself with being lonely and the way in which the colours are used to show how the characters are feeling within the book such as the Beginning the colours are dark and bland and there are stripes showing the feelings and emotions then as the story goes on it shows that the child is becoming more cheerful as the colours are brightening up and she is very happy. I also really like how the gorilla is dressed a lot like her father showing the perception of her wanting to be closer to her father and in a page where it was her birthday it shows that the child has drawn a picture of her and her father and the chloths the gorilla was wearing was exactly what she drew her father wearing. The way the colours where through the book really showed me how the images are used to make us understand the thoughts and feelings of the children. It is a really interesting concept to see how images can really tell more of the story than the actual words. Th way in which the character is placed on the page really shows the way in which the character is feeling. There are some really interesting images in the book which show the feelings of the child and the way there are some lines in the images is to show upset and it really draws in the reader to understand and acknowledge how the child is feeling. Some of the images had a frame so it means we are looking into the child’s world and when there isn’t a frame its where we are part of the story and the illustrator really wants to raw us into the story.
What I did not like about the book?
Throughout reading this story I didn’t like the fact that the girl looked isolated and lonely without her father but it does show how the progression of the story is important. I almost don’t like the way the story finished so quickly I feel as though there could have been an extension to the story of what happens to her father and her when they go to the zoo as a further extension to the story. I also didn’t like how the story was rather short I feel as though there could have been a few more words and a few more descriptors in order to describe the story further. Even though the colours and the way the illustrations are drawn are showing us how the girl is feeling it is very hard to see the transition in the colours as her mood changes in my opinion I feel that there could have been an opportunity to slowly lighten up the images in the story to show how she is become even more happier when with the gorilla and how much more happy she was at the end of the story when she was finally spending some time with her dad.
What would I want answers to?
Through this story, I was questioning a few things such as why is the father not talking to his child throughout the beginning book and where is the child’s mother. I was also wondering what the fathers job is as he works when the child is at school and he works at home. I was also wondering what happened at one section of the story as the child didn’t really have dinner it went from her sitting in her room to her then waking up after the dream I felt there was a chunk of the story missing and that there was more that was needing to be said.
What was repeated throughout?
Throughout this book, I felt as though the part about the girls love for gorillas was really repeated through-out the book to show how much she enjoyed gorillas. However, if she didn’t gorillas in the book the title wouldn't be very fitting so I feel that the way in which the theme of gorillas is repeated it is very crucial to the story. the repetition of the girls feelings through the images is key to show the reader what is happening even if they were unable to read the story.
September 6, 2015
Hannah, a young girl, absolutely adores gorillas. The posters in her room; the bedside lamp, the box of cereal, are all adorned with her favourite animal. She spends her time reading, drawing or watching programmes about them. She has yet to see one in the flesh.
Hannah would like nothing more than to spend time with her father; except he’s always working, “not now, I’m busy, maybe tomorrow” is the usual response. The disappointment, isolation and sadness Hannah feels immediately echoes with the reader.
However on the eve of her birthday something peculiar happens… She awakens to discover a gigantic gorilla at the end of her bed! Thus, beginning a magical adventure, the pair embark on trips to the zoo and cinema.
The next morning Hannah excitedly jumps out of bed, sprinting, to tell dad her news of her amazing journey. He approaches her “happy birthday love, do you want to go to the zoo?” The reader can instantly feel Hannah’s joy, she is glowing with happiness; her one wish has come true.
The text consists of fairly simple sentences; however I believe the pictures tell the story. The illustrations in this book are bold, beautiful and poignant. For example the use of ‘framing’ showing the chimpanzees at the zoo, creates a sense of imprisonment. Additionally, there is the use of colour to indicate mood. In the first part of the story Hannah’s dad is in a grey/blue, sterile, cold, kitchen. He is reading the newspaper (ignoring Hannah who is eating at the opposite end of the table). This contrasted with the end. Dad is in a ‘family room’ (light, delicate, flowery wallpaper), Hannah’s drawing is displayed in a frame on the wall. He is wearing red jumper and has his hands affectionately upon Hannah, building a sense of warmth.
I feel this book would be best suited to EYFS-KS1, as it is an inclusive text (limited unfamiliar vocabulary) and the large, clear, imaginative illustrations would aid early/reluctant/EAL readers.
The book could be used as a class story because of the numerous talking points i.e. discussing Hannah’s emotions (there is a wide range throughout the text), whether animals should be kept in the zoo (Hannah says she feels “sad” when visiting the zoo) and the depiction of a single parent family (Hannah’s mum is absent from the story). The story could also help inspire creative writing; children could develop their own adventure/dream stories with their favourite animal. Or alternatively children could write a letter to Hannah’s Dad (or vice versa) explaining how she feels during the first part of the book, this activity may be better suited to older pupils.
This book is one of my favourites, reading it again as an adult you start to sympathise with Hannah’s Dad; the familiar trying-your-best family dynamic. The illustrations are exquisite.
Hannah would like nothing more than to spend time with her father; except he’s always working, “not now, I’m busy, maybe tomorrow” is the usual response. The disappointment, isolation and sadness Hannah feels immediately echoes with the reader.
However on the eve of her birthday something peculiar happens… She awakens to discover a gigantic gorilla at the end of her bed! Thus, beginning a magical adventure, the pair embark on trips to the zoo and cinema.
The next morning Hannah excitedly jumps out of bed, sprinting, to tell dad her news of her amazing journey. He approaches her “happy birthday love, do you want to go to the zoo?” The reader can instantly feel Hannah’s joy, she is glowing with happiness; her one wish has come true.
The text consists of fairly simple sentences; however I believe the pictures tell the story. The illustrations in this book are bold, beautiful and poignant. For example the use of ‘framing’ showing the chimpanzees at the zoo, creates a sense of imprisonment. Additionally, there is the use of colour to indicate mood. In the first part of the story Hannah’s dad is in a grey/blue, sterile, cold, kitchen. He is reading the newspaper (ignoring Hannah who is eating at the opposite end of the table). This contrasted with the end. Dad is in a ‘family room’ (light, delicate, flowery wallpaper), Hannah’s drawing is displayed in a frame on the wall. He is wearing red jumper and has his hands affectionately upon Hannah, building a sense of warmth.
I feel this book would be best suited to EYFS-KS1, as it is an inclusive text (limited unfamiliar vocabulary) and the large, clear, imaginative illustrations would aid early/reluctant/EAL readers.
The book could be used as a class story because of the numerous talking points i.e. discussing Hannah’s emotions (there is a wide range throughout the text), whether animals should be kept in the zoo (Hannah says she feels “sad” when visiting the zoo) and the depiction of a single parent family (Hannah’s mum is absent from the story). The story could also help inspire creative writing; children could develop their own adventure/dream stories with their favourite animal. Or alternatively children could write a letter to Hannah’s Dad (or vice versa) explaining how she feels during the first part of the book, this activity may be better suited to older pupils.
This book is one of my favourites, reading it again as an adult you start to sympathise with Hannah’s Dad; the familiar trying-your-best family dynamic. The illustrations are exquisite.
November 29, 2016
This book is about a girl called Hannah who is obsessed with gorillas, and on the night before her birthday she goes on an adventure with a real one! The book begins with emotion and sadness, describing Hannah as a lonely girl, whose father is always too busy to spend any time with her. Left alone most of the time, this is how she discovers her love of gorillas by reading about them, watching programmes and drawing them. The author describes her wish to see a real gorilla at the zoo. Hannah is disappointed when she receives a toy gorilla for her birthday instead of a real one, however something magical happens and her toy gorilla comes to life taking her on an adventure through the night. In the morning, the reader feels relief and satisfaction when finally Hannah’s father spends time with her by granting her wish and taking her to the zoo to see a real gorilla. Anthony Browne was another author recommended to us at university, therefore I chose to read one of his books that we hadn’t discussed in class. Browne is known for his gorilla/monkeys theme in many of his books, and the illustrations in this one were powerful and engaging. Although the story is sad at the beginning, Browne has written through the eyes of the child and is very relatable to readers, exploring feelings such as loneliness, frustration and excitement. Once the gorilla comes to life there is a feeling of exhilaration and adventure in the book, which would be very engaging for children’s imaginations. I think this story would be suitable for any age, older readers could explore the themes of the text in more detail, but younger readers could also appreciate this book and discuss their own ideas/feelings. The idea of make-believe and fantasy could further appeal to children. Browne uses simple language with very realistic and detailed illustrations making it an attractive read.
November 13, 2011
Gorilla adresses how as a child sometimes you can feel lost and alone. Hannah a little girl who's father is always too busy working to much to do, well, do anything. Because of this she fills her time with her favorite animal, Gorillas! She reads books about gorillas, she watches tv about gorillas, she draws pictures of gorillas, she does everything that has to do with gorillas. But because her father is so busy and cannot take her to the zoo Hannah has never seen a gorilla in real life. Although she is so excited because her birthday is coming up, and she has asked her father for a gorilla. She woke up in the middle of the night to find a stuffed animal gorilla, to say the least she was disappointed. She discard the stuffed animal and went back to sleep, later to wake up to find it had turned into a real live gorilla. Wearing her fathers coat and hat, symbolism that Hannah wish it were her father, the gorilla to her to the zoo and had adventures. When she awoke the next morning on her birthday she found the stuffed animal gorilla and went down stairs, her father finally made time for her as he wished her happy birthday and asked if she would like to go to the zoo. Although the story is slightly sad in the beginning with the father who never has time, it is a realistic view of some families now days. This book would be great for families with parents who have parents who work a lot, it shows that because mommy and daddy may work a lot does not mean that they don't love you. I would absolutely recommend this book not only does it have a great message, a fun and adventurous story, but it also has great vocabulary for children to be exposed to!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews