Book Description
for One Gorilla by Anthony Browne
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Anthony Browne's visually stunning picture book begins with 1 gorilla gazing out from the page. This is followed by 2 orangutans, then 3 chimpanzees, and so on, until a variety of primates numbering one to ten have been revealed. On every page spread, the animals are beautifully rendered with exquisitely detailed features. And whether there is 1 or 2 or 10 of them, they are all individuals. Not only is there variation in coat color and facial structure among the same kind of animal, but abundant personality comes through their facial expressions and their eyes. Following "10 lemurs," in a shift that is matter of fact yet arresting, Browne turns this into a simple science book by illuminating the fact that humans, too, are another kind of primate. It's an idea expressed simply and beautifully and accessibly, and followed by a page spread of diverse human primate faces full of both humor and poignancy. (Ages 2-7)
CCBC Choices 2014. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2014. Used with permission.