by Moe Zilla

Created on: May 22, 2010

"Hannah loved gorillas. She read books about gorillas, she watched gorillas on television, and she drew pictures of gorillas.

"But she had never seen a real gorilla..."

Anthony Browne captures the perspective of a little girl - and weaves a very clever story about her relationship with her father.  According to the book's jacket, Browne wrote and illustrated the book while his wife was pregnant with their first child, "and I suppose I must have been thinking about what it means to be a father." But in the story, Hannah's father doesn't have time to  take her to the zoo - or "time for anything." He's mostly glimpsed solemnly reading the newspaper in a colorless kitchen, or focused on work at his desk.

But fortunately, a gorilla turns up one night at the foot of Hannh's bed!

"Don't be frightened, Hannah..." the gorilla says. "I just wondered if you'd like to go to the zoo?" He puts on her father's hat and coat - which fit perfectly - and then lifts her up as they swing through the trees. The zoo is closed, but the gorilla scales its brick wall, with Hannah on his back, and then takes her to the gorilla cage.

There's an explanation for this - actually, a couple of explanations.  It's the night before Hannah's birthday, and she'd asked her father for a gorilla! In the night she'd discovered a package at the foot of her bed, but it was just a tiny toy gorilla. But in Browne's illustrations, the toy gorilla starts growing, until it's a full-sized gorilla.

Of course, the story could also be a dream, but Browne hints at a third explanation. The gorilla takes Hannah to the movies, then takes her out to eat, and then dances with her on the lawn - all in her father's overcoat and hat. ("See you tomorrow," the gorilla promises.) And the next morning Hannah gets a surprise when she rushes downstairs to share her adventure. The first thing her father says is: "Do you want to go to the zoo?" And in the last drawing, Hannah is walking off into the distance with her hand in her father's - who's still wearing the same hat and overcoat.

"Hannah was very happy," Browne writes.

It's a warm moment, which is even more effective because of Browne's illustrations. All the big rooms in the house all suggest that Hannah must be lonely, so it's a welcome change when the gorilla shows up. And the gorilla itself is drawn with thoughtful eyes and a warm smile. But the final drawing is conclusive family silhouette - letting the reader imagine Hannah's warm feeling for themselves!

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