Gordon's Got a Snookie

Now available in paperback, the endearing story of Gordon the gorilla and his struggle to balance the demands of his masculinity with his need for his snookie, will find a whole new raft of fans. This cheeky, bouncing, infectiously happy children's story about a big, strong, hairy gorilla living up to his image is a joy to read aloud and is ideal bedtime reading. Now available in paperback. 'Wayne Harris's outrageous decorated animals will leave you wiping away tears of laughter. If you're looking for a great read which will appeal to preschoolers of all ages, a book with an excellent child appropriate moral which isn't the slightest bit cutesy, and a beautifully illustrated book which will be read again and again, without any strain on your part, Gordon's Got a Snookie is a winner.' Pre-School Entertainment Web Site

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-The zoo animals are excited because Gordon is coming. However, when the silverback gorilla arrives toting his baby blanket, he becomes a laughingstock. Even the "girls" (female gorillas) he is to live with refuse to pick his nits. When a baby gorilla falls into the moat, Gordon uses his snookie as a rope to rescue him and becomes a hero. The girls shower him with attention and the rest of the creatures get snookies of their own. Although Gordon is a sympathetic character, the narrative is uneven and overloaded with sound effects. While it may speak to gorilla social structure, the characterization of the machismo-obsessed females may strike some adult readers as sexist. This would not be a problem if the animals in the text and the art were not drawn with such broad anthropomorphic strokes. The digitally created illustrations are jumbled in style and blurry in execution. Gordon himself lacks the signature gray hair found on silverbacks. Stick with Anthony Browne's titles for stronger primate tales.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Gordon's got a what? The title alone will be enough to make you pick up this book, if the striking cover design hasn't already grabbed your attention. At the risk of giving the game away, Lisa Shanahan's new picture book addresses in a lighthearted, humorous way such serious subjects as bullying, teasing and personal courage and integrity. The zoo animals are all abuzz about the arrival of a new silverback to join the gorilla troupe. However, Gordon doesn't quite live up to their expectations. Nonetheless, he proves himself an admirable if unconventional hero. Shanahan makes excellent use of the repeated rhythmic text that small children love. In particular they will enjoy joining in with the animal noises and chant-like refrains. Implied jokes will add to adults' reading pleasure. The strong colours, varied font usage and bold design reflect the text's inherent vitality. As was apparent in his work for Margaret Wild's Going Home, Wayne Harris is particularly gifted when it comes to depicting animals. His engaging illustrations for Gordon's Got a Snookie bring to mind the gorilla bullies in Willy the Wimp. This title may well turn out to be as popular with young audiences as Anthony Browne's classic picture books. Lizzie Whyte has worked as a library assistant and a teacher's assistant. She is now sales and marketing assistant at Heinemann Library. C. 2002 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

About the Author

Lisa Shanahan is the author of several pictures books and junior novels including the Sweetie May books, published by ABC Books. Wayne Harris has designed and illustrated over twenty outstanding picture books including the luscious House of Narcissus by Margaret Wild.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-The zoo animals are excited because Gordon is coming. However, when the silverback gorilla arrives toting his baby blanket, he becomes a laughingstock. Even the "girls" (female gorillas) he is to live with refuse to pick his nits. When a baby gorilla falls into the moat, Gordon uses his snookie as a rope to rescue him and becomes a hero. The girls shower him with attention and the rest of the creatures get snookies of their own. Although Gordon is a sympathetic character, the narrative is uneven and overloaded with sound effects. While it may speak to gorilla social structure, the characterization of the machismo-obsessed females may strike some adult readers as sexist. This would not be a problem if the animals in the text and the art were not drawn with such broad anthropomorphic strokes. The digitally created illustrations are jumbled in style and blurry in execution. Gordon himself lacks the signature gray hair found on silverbacks. Stick with Anthony Browne's titles for stronger primate tales.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Gordon's got a what? The title alone will be enough to make you pick up this book, if the striking cover design hasn't already grabbed your attention. At the risk of giving the game away, Lisa Shanahan's new picture book addresses in a lighthearted, humorous way such serious subjects as bullying, teasing and personal courage and integrity. The zoo animals are all abuzz about the arrival of a new silverback to join the gorilla troupe. However, Gordon doesn't quite live up to their expectations. Nonetheless, he proves himself an admirable if unconventional hero. Shanahan makes excellent use of the repeated rhythmic text that small children love. In particular they will enjoy joining in with the animal noises and chant-like refrains. Implied jokes will add to adults' reading pleasure. The strong colours, varied font usage and bold design reflect the text's inherent vitality. As was apparent in his work for Margaret Wild's Going Home, Wayne Harris is particularly gifted when it comes to depicting animals. His engaging illustrations for Gordon's Got a Snookie bring to mind the gorilla bullies in Willy the Wimp. This title may well turn out to be as popular with young audiences as Anthony Browne's classic picture books. Lizzie Whyte has worked as a library assistant and a teacher's assistant. She is now sales and marketing assistant at Heinemann Library. C. 2002 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors

Reviews

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