School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Mack's latest picture book is told with only two words, but they convey an array of emotions, including excitement, surprise, anger, and sadness. A playful gorilla tries to get a boy's attention by flinging around books and stepping on them. But no matter how many times (or ways) the gorilla says, "Look" (14), the boy keeps his eyes on the television. As the gorilla's behavior becomes increasingly unruly, the boy's exclamations of "Look out!" become serious. When the gorilla accidentally breaks the TV, the boy shouts "Out! Out! Out!" but then discovers the joy of reading, and shares his discovery with the gorilla. "Look. Look! Look! Look!" he says while pointing to the gorilla and Tarzan characters on the page. Mixed-media illustrations and alternating font styles are set against different colored and textured backdrops. This is a fun read-aloud that will have children wanting to look and look again.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A gorilla finds a stack of books. He doesn't seem aware of the literary potential they hold, but as objects, the possibilities for goofiness are evident: books can be worn, juggled, even balanced on. It's just the sort of discovery one friend would share with another-except that the gorilla's friend, a human boy, is glued to the TV. In keeping with the limited vocabularies of his Ah Ha! and Good News, Bad News, Mack employs just two words, "Look" and "Out," in varying syntactical combinations, as the gorilla clamors for the boy's attention, and the boy bats him away. ("Look!" for example, can express excitement or disappointment.) The slapstick action unfolds on linen-textured backgrounds, battered vintage book covers, and the actual pages of a book-hat-tips to the physicality of books that hint at a happy ending for bibliophiles of all ages. Even if audiences miss these winks and nods to the tactile pleasures of reading, they'll still love that gorilla: hulking, eager-to-please and almost palpably furry, he'll be welcome in any room. Ages 3-5. Agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
