Gorillas in Our Midst by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones

Source: Sky Horse Press
Hardcover, 32 pages
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Gorillas in Our Midst by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones, is titled in a way that will remind adult readers of that movie, Gorillas in the Mist, but this is not that movie and this boy is not Diane Fossey.  He’s been told from a young age that he should always carry a banana with him because a gorilla could show up at any time and anywhere.  In fact, they often get jobs in which they wear masks, like surgeons or scuba divers, but they also disguise themselves with funny masks and t-shirts that say they are not gorillas.  This book contains fun plays on names, like Gorilliam Shakespeare and Apebraham Lincoln, but it also is fun to read with children and ask them to spot the hidden gorillas in the background.

Our narrator also is quick to explain how gorillas are adept at hiding but not other types of primates.  The surprise ending will have kids laughing as well.  My daughter and I were giggling at its conclusion after trying spot all of the gorillas throughout the book.  As you can tell, we make reading a game sometimes.  It’s always good to make reading as fun as it can be.

Gorillas in Our Midst by Richard Fairgray and Terry Jones is a cute book that can become a game for parents and kids reading together, and there isn’t a whole lot of text, so it can be easily used to help children begin the stages of word recognition.  The illustrations here have an old comic strip feel to them, like those that used to be in the newspaper and that every kid and adult loved to share over the breakfast table.

About the Authors:

Richard Fairgray is also an active Podcaster, blogger, and writer/illustrator of picture books. His Morgan series has sold well throughout New Zealand and overseas and his new title Gorillas In Our Midst was released in April worldwide.