Go-go gorillas
(Book)

As they did in Cha-Cha Chimps (2006), Durango and Taylor present a bouncy book that will keep little ones counting. In the Great Gorilla Villa, King Big Daddy has news. So he sends a messenger to gather up the other gorillas, and they come in buses and in jalopies, on pogo sticks and in hot-air balloons. The watercolor art, with pictures big enough for groups, has the same sprightly spirit as the text. Forgoing the usual one . . . two . . . , this goes with first, second, and so on, giving kids a new way to express numbers.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist

PreS-Gr 1-King Big Daddy dispatches his mouse messenger to gather his family for a big announcement at the Great Gorilla Villa. The 10 relatives hurry over, each using a different method of transportation, from a rowboat to a pogo stick to a plane. "Niece Isabel was second:/'There's no need for you to worry./If I row there in my rowboat,/I can make it in a hurry!'" Their travels are punctuated by the relentless refrain: "Go-go gorillas! Gotta go, gorillas, go!" Taylor's busy, colorful watercolors track the chaos and the joy as the family welcomes a new baby. Though the story itself is slight, the rhyme and repetition make it a bouncy read-aloud for transportation units.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

King Big Daddy of Great Gorilla Villa summons his kin via mouse messenger. The rhymes introducing each of his ten relatives, who employ diverse modes of transportation (including pogo stick), have the clickety-clack precision of a train. Meanwhile, the cheeky art ups the humor quotient: look for brand-new-baby gorilla Priscilla--the reason for Big Daddy's summons--in her propeller-driven highchair-throne. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

In the jungle at the Great Gorilla Villa, the gorilla King Big Daddy calls for his royal messenger, a mouse on a moped, and says, "Summon every last gorilla / to the Villa, don't be late. / I expect them all by sundown / please don't make Big Daddy wait!" She visits relations one by one to pass on the message, and every gorilla hops on a different form of transport to make the appointment. Niece Isabel rows her boat. Uncle Mario drives his truck. Cuz Clementine sets off in her hot-air balloon. "Go-go gorillas! / Gotta go, / gorillas, go!" All ten arrive just in time for the announcement of a new member of the familywho's already on the go. Durango amd Taylor follow Cha Cha Chimps (2006) with a snappy simian tale of family and vehicles sure to have toes tapping and audiences giggling. The cartoon watercolor illustrations are full of verve and plenty of monkeyshines. A great addition to any storytime collection; by the end listeners will be chanting along with the refrain. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

As they did in Cha-Cha Chimps (2006), Durango and Taylor present a bouncy book that will keep little ones counting. In the Great Gorilla Villa, King Big Daddy has news. So he sends a messenger to gather up the other gorillas, and they come in buses and in jalopies, on pogo sticks and in hot-air balloons. The watercolor art, with pictures big enough for groups, has the same sprightly spirit as the text. Forgoing the usual "one . . . two . . . ," this goes with first, second, and so on, giving kids a new way to express numbers. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.

PreS-Gr 1—King Big Daddy dispatches his mouse messenger to gather his family for a big announcement at the Great Gorilla Villa. The 10 relatives hurry over, each using a different method of transportation, from a rowboat to a pogo stick to a plane. "Niece Isabel was second:/'There's no need for you to worry./If I row there in my rowboat,/I can make it in a hurry!'" Their travels are punctuated by the relentless refrain: "Go-go gorillas! Gotta go, gorillas, go!" Taylor's busy, colorful watercolors track the chaos and the joy as the family welcomes a new baby. Though the story itself is slight, the rhyme and repetition make it a bouncy read-aloud for transportation units.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD