Book Review #2, Module
3
WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING by Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Shane Evans
WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING by Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Shane Evans
1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, N., & Evans, S. (2010). When Gorilla Goes Walking. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN-13: 9780439317702
Grimes, N., & Evans, S. (2010). When Gorilla Goes Walking. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN-13: 9780439317702
2. PLOT SUMMARY
When Gorilla Goes Walking is a sweet and humorous collection of poems about a young girl, Cecilia, and her furry, tailless cat named Gorilla. Cecilia takes her readers through the good, bad, jealous, sassy, sweet, cuddly, and comforting adventures of Gorilla, and leaves us running to our fur-babies to hug them close. The unique relationship between Cecilia and Gorilla is silly and loveable. This is truly a great collection of poems perfect for any animal lover.
When Gorilla Goes Walking is a sweet and humorous collection of poems about a young girl, Cecilia, and her furry, tailless cat named Gorilla. Cecilia takes her readers through the good, bad, jealous, sassy, sweet, cuddly, and comforting adventures of Gorilla, and leaves us running to our fur-babies to hug them close. The unique relationship between Cecilia and Gorilla is silly and loveable. This is truly a great collection of poems perfect for any animal lover.
3.
CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
When Gorilla Goes Walking brings us into the sweet connection between Cecilia and her cat, Gorilla, through the medium of poetry in many forms. The book opens with full page illustrations of two best friends, both named Cecilia, and moves straight to an introduction of Gorilla. This transition parallels Gorilla to best-friend-Cecilia and allows the reader to immediately recognize that this sassy cat is there for its owner in every circumstance imaginable. We then walk through several situations, written poetically, where Gorilla and Cecilia experience everyday life side by side. Some situations paint Gorilla as a spoiled pet, yet in the very next poem we see how warm Cecilia’s furry friend can be.
I love how the illustrations are vibrant, yet simple, and take up the entire page; it brings a realistic feel to the poems, while not overwhelming the reader with excessive detail. Evans does a fantastic job of showing us the relationship between Gorilla and Cecilia by placing us in each and every situation with them. It’s easy to see from these realistic yet silly illustrations that this furry, tailless cat never leaves its owner’s side.
It’s
worth noting that the last poem of the book ends with, “I’m Gorilla’s human,
don’t ever forget!” which for me, puts a humorous twist on the poem and shows a
shift of power- Gorilla is truly the one running that household!
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“Grimes' skillfully chosen sounds and rhythms echo the distinctly feline behavior, from erratic, zooming action—"skate 'cross the floor. / Sail by the window, / leap through the door"—to soothing, purring comforts: "Gorilla raised a paw / and pet me." In spare, expressive lines and bold colors, Evans' dynamic paintings capture the messy intimacy of the cat and human bond.” –starred review, Gillian Engberg in Booklist
Awards:
*Bank Street Best Books for Children
“Grimes' skillfully chosen sounds and rhythms echo the distinctly feline behavior, from erratic, zooming action—"skate 'cross the floor. / Sail by the window, / leap through the door"—to soothing, purring comforts: "Gorilla raised a paw / and pet me." In spare, expressive lines and bold colors, Evans' dynamic paintings capture the messy intimacy of the cat and human bond.” –starred review, Gillian Engberg in Booklist
Awards:
*Bank Street Best Books for Children
*Starred
review in Booklist
*Starred
review in Publishers Weekly
*2009
California Readers Collection
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