Tuesday, March 29, 2011

"Gorillas" by Gail Gibbons 32 p. / 2011



Gibbons is so adept at creating picture book nonfiction for younger readers and her newest addition is no exception. Appropriate for grades k-5, this book gives the reader a very visual overview of these fascinating primates. The book provides insight into the unique habitat, diet, and defining physical, social, and emotional characteristics of this species. Although Gibbons provides a lot of good details specific to gorillas, she doesn't overwhelm the reader with too much information, making it just the right size for the elementary school set.


The watercolor illustrations are probably not as exacting as an older reader might prefer, yet they make the book feel like a picture book, allowing for a wider audience to enjoy the content. I found the illustrations to be a bit annoying at times and would have preferred real photographs, especially when Gibbons is describing their facial expressions and the various meaning behind them. However, that is DK's specialty and this is Gibbons's! This book would be perfect to look at with a preschooler because it is so visual, yet it is also just as appropriate for a 4th grader to use as a source in a science report about gorillas.

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