“Good night, Gorilla”, says the zookeeper not realizing that Gorilla is taking the cage keys from his belt loop. 
It’s bedtime at the zoo and all the animals are going to sleep. Or rather they should be!
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann is the tale of a zookeeper closing up for the day and saying good night to all the animals. All the while Gorilla is following behind him unlocking the cage doors and an animal procession ensues. One that leads right to the zookeeper’s own home!
There is very little text, really just “Good Night” and the animals’ names. But it’s a fun way to introduce animals to young children. The lack of text doesn’t take away from the book at all - the vibrant images and the parading animals are entertaining in themselves. Who could resist the toothy, mischievous grin of Gorilla?
Good Night, Gorilla was named as one of the Best Children’s Books of 1994 by Parenting Magazine and was included in the 1995 list of Children’s Books 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing from the New York Public Library.
It’s also very easy to find activities to do with children relating to this book. Here are some good examples:
- Good Night, Gorilla Book Preschool Lesson Plan
- Small Group Activities - Comprehension 1: Connect to Good Night, Gorilla
- Children’s Literature Project - Good Night, Gorilla
Good Night, Gorilla, is one of my wife’s favorite children’s books. I too found it charming.
It is an endearing book for sure! I remember it being quite popular with the little boy I looked after years ago in my former life as a nanny. Kathleen