The boy and the gorilla

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Title:

The boy and the gorilla

Alternate title:

Boy & the gorilla

Author:

Azúa Kramer, Jackie, author.

Derby, Cindy, illustrator.

Summary:

General Note:

Originally published London : Walker Books Ltd, 2020.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

40 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 23 x 28 cm

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Gorilla -- Juvenile fiction.

Bereavement -- Juvenile fiction.

Imagination in children -- Juvenile fiction.

Author(s):

Derby, Cindy,

Publisher:

Candlewick Press

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9780763698324

Publication Information:

Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press 2020.

Call Number:

P AZUAKRAMER

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003521625	Picture Books	AZUAKRAMER	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

This profoundly moving tale about a grieving boy and an imaginary gorilla makes real the power of talking about loss.

On the day of his mother's funeral, a young boy conjures the very visitor he needs to see: a gorilla. Wise and gentle, the gorilla stays on to answer the heart-heavy questions the boy hesitates to ask his father: Where did his mother go? Will she come back home? Will we all die? Yet with the gorilla's friendship, the boy slowly begins to discover moments of comfort in tending flowers, playing catch, and climbing trees. Most of all, the gorilla knows that it helps to simply talk about the loss--especially with those who share your grief and who may feel alone, too. Author Jackie Azúa Kramer's quietly thoughtful text and illustrator Cindy Derby's beautiful impressionistic artwork depict how this tender relationship leads the boy to open up to his father and find a path forward. Told entirely in dialogue, this direct and deeply affecting picture book will inspire conversations about grief, empathy, and healing beyond the final hope-filled scene.

Author Notes

Jackie Azúa Kramer is the author of The Green Umbrella and If You Want to Fall Asleep . She was previously an actress, singer, and school counselor. Jackie Azúa Kramer lives with her family in Long Island, New York.

Cindy Derby is the author-illustrator of How to Walk an Ant and the illustrator of the poetry collection Climbing Shadows by Shannon Bramer. Before she was an illustrator, she went to theater school and performed all over the world as a puppeteer. Cindy Derby lives in San Francisco.

Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Following a mother's death, a gorilla lumbers slowly into the family's house, then the garden, as grown-ups wearing somber colors disperse. "Your mother's garden is beautiful," the gorilla says to her young son, who is working there. "May I help?" The gorilla stays close, answering questions and shoring up the mourning child emotionally. "I wish Mom was here to read to me," the boy says. The gorilla hunches over a book: "It's a good story. Your father might like this book, too." As the boy climbs a tree, hoping his mother will be at the top, the gorilla murmurs, "I'm right behind you." Derby (Outside In) paints loose washes of quiet colors, with the gorilla's solemn features and commanding presence drawing attention throughout. Kramer (The Green Umbrella) successfully walks a delicate line between foregrounding the boy's sadness ("When will I feel better?") and the gorilla's miraculous presence. Somehow, the gorilla's words sound less treacly than a human grown-up's might ("Each bite is like a memory," the gorilla says when the boy makes his mother's favorite cookies), and they offer meaningful support and comfort to the boy until he's ready to reach out elsewhere. Ages 4--8. Author's agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. Illustrator's agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.)

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Reviews (1)

Publisher's Weekly Review