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Ding Dong Gorilla ISBN: 9781408312018
Lord, Leonie and Robinson, Michelle
Published by Orchard Books, 2013
Is it really a gorilla who wrecks the house and eats the pizza, or is a guilty little boy with a vivid imagination trying to convince his mum that the mayhem is not his fault? We may never know, but the mayhem is there for all to see! When the doorbell rings, the little boy is expecting to see a pizza delivery man, but instead he is confronted with a large and very hairy gorilla, who proceeds to push past him and to play havoc with the house. Mum is upstairs while all this is going on, so the gorilla must have been very quiet while he dumped toys on the floor, dressed up in mum's clothes, drew pictures on the wall, and pulled up all the flowers in the garden. Some of this activity the little boy really enjoys, while some of it, he realises, is going to get him into a lot of trouble. The worst thing of all, just as mum comes down the stairs, is that the gorilla has eaten the pizza before leaving, so not only is the house a complete disaster, but there is no dinner. The story finishes there, and we are left to wonder at what happens next. This is one of a long history of children's books with animals coming into the house while mum is unavailable and wrecking the place, or of children trying to get away with their own predations - depending on your point of view. This is undoubtedly a very comical one, and the furry, funny gorilla with his child cohort will be enjoyed by children who particularly like anarchical behaviour!
Age: 4+