Good Night, Gorilla
Good Night, Gorilla is one of those wonderful picture books that you just love to read with children. With very few words portrayed in little cartoon dialogue bubbles, the story leaves plenty of room for interpretation and discussion with little ones.
It starts out with a picture of an adorable little gorilla stealing the keys of the zoo night guard as he passes by, telling the young primate, “Good night, Gorilla.” The mischievous smile on the gorilla’s face as he takes the keys is really all we need to see to know that he’s up to something very naughty!
Indeed, after the gorilla frees himself with the keys, he toddles after the night guard—much like a child would—as he makes his evening rounds. Along the way, as the guard sweetly tells each animal good night, the gorilla unlocks each cage, freeing the animal aforementioned. Together, they all—giraffe, hyena, lion, elephant, armadillo and more—form a long procession following the night guard out of the zoo and into his own home. There, they creep into his bedroom, dozing off in every corner of the room.
When the guard’s wife realizes that he’s home, she sleepily murmurs goodnight—and is shocked to hear several good nights from the zoo animals camped out in her own bedroom floor! When she turns on the light, they all greet her groggily—except for the gorilla, snuggled next to her, grinning.
The last scene depicts her leading them all back toward the zoo in her nightdress, holding the gorilla’s hand. It’s a funny story, sure, but it’s also a sweet portrayal of the night guard and his wife, who obviously care for the animals very much, and the animals who, rather than escape or set off to terrorize the city, opt to go home with their beloved guard as if they were his own children.
The pretty bright colors, even in the perceived nightfall of the book, also make it fun to read; some of the cages even have brightly colored patchwork rather than the gloomy stone you might expect at a zoo. Each animal, too, has toys and snacks within their cages—a ball and toy elephant for the elephant, a bone for the lion, and stuffed mini versions of themselves for the giraffe, armadillo and hyena—making the zoo a much friendlier place than it might be. These images also further personify the childlike animals, creating a whimsical scene for readers to enjoy. The gorilla, who has the most toys in his cage, may be the most spoiled “child” of them all—and the little mouse who takes one of his bananas and drags it through almost every scene is fun to follow, too.
