Still a Gorilla, written by Kim Norman, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Willy the Gorilla lives in the City Zoo. With all of the other exciting animals around him, Willy decides that he might like to be something different. Willy considers some of the other animals that he could be and wonders if acting like another animal would make him turn into that animal. But each time he tries, he discovers that he is not meant to roar like a lion or hop like a kangaroo, and that he is, in fact, “Still a gorilla.” After Willy tries out the actions of a lion, a walrus, a billy goat, an alligator, and a kangaroo, he puts them all together into one big wacky action parade that makes Willy see that he can be silly, but no matter what, he will always be, “Still a gorilla.” 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This seemingly-simple animal book comes with a big message about being true to yourself. Each four page sequence follows a delightfully repetitive pattern that will engage and entertain preschoolers. The use of rhetorical questions will allow even small children to engage with the story as they ponder whether a gorilla can turn himself into a walrus or alligator. One question in each spread is offered with a catchy rhyme, always popular with the preschool set, and important for vocabulary development as well. The illustrations are bright, color and often humorous. After each question is asked, the following two-page spread shows Willy trying to dress or act like the animal he is emulating, which is sure to elicit giggles from kids (especially the page on which Willy uses two bananas to look like walrus tusks.) The repetition of the title/tagline (“Still a Gorilla!”) throughout the story will encourage children to anticipate it and say it along with the reader. This picture book is a winner! It is engaging, interactive, and focuses on favorite zoo animals which will always delight young readers.