WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grimes, Nikki. 2007. WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING. illus. by Shane Evans. New York, NY: Orchard Books, An Imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN 9780439317702

PLOT SUMMARY
Cecilia has a pet cat named Gorilla. Author Nikki Grimes uses poetry to tell of a love/hate relationship with a pet cat who has a mind of his own.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Children love to read about pets. Author Grimes reminds us all that we can love our pets one minute and be annoyed with them the next. Each thought about her pet cat Gorilla is recorded in a separate poem with an appropriate title. When Grimes first begins describing the cat she does not mince words. "A fierce meow, a tiger's claws - Gorilla ain't no Santa Paws./ She hisses when a stranger's near. /She chases dogs. She has no fear. /She has no tail. She's rain-cloud gray./ I love that cool cat more each day." In this poem we see the personality of the cat but learn it makes no difference, Cecilia still loves him! The description of the color "rain-cloud gray" is a memory that anyone could picture. The final line of the books reminds the reader that "When you see my pet. I'm Gorilla's human. Don't ever forget!" Gorilla comforts Cecilia when she's sad, plays with her and sleeps with her at night. This is a little girl who dearly loves this cat. Nikki Grimes uses rhyming and haiki as forms of poetry in this book.

The artwork in this book is bold in color without details. The simple paintings look child like in their simplicity but the splash of color on every page surrounds the poetry and makes it very easy to read. Cecilia, an African American girl, is pictured with her cat, Gorilla throughout the book. Gorilla's facial expressions reflect the poem on the page. When he's sick, the painting on him shows him with his eyes closed and his tongue stuck out. In the poem "Chase" he is pictured very happily trying to catch a fly. You can see the joy on his face.

PERSONAL OPINION
There are not enough books featuring African American characters. This book of poetry is an every day look at a pet, something everyone, regardless of culture, could relate to. Some children have a preconceived notion of poetry. Grimes book of poetry would make children laugh and if read aloud, they'd want to check it out on their own to reread.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
"In a series of delightful poems, a girl introduces her cat, Gorilla, and describes her pet's many interests, talents, and behaviors. While the feline is decidedly the star of this show, Cecilia also shares tidbits about her own life, such as getting into trouble for making a mess and feeling sad when her best friend moves away. The rich and rewarding relationship enjoyed by cat and human comes through loud and clear."

From Booklist
"In interlinked poems, Cecilia, a young African American girl, introduces her "cool cat,"---a fierce, tailless, gray shorthair named Gorilla. In spare, expressive lines and bold colors, Evans' dynamic paintings capture the messy intimacy of the cat and human bond. Also evident is the sense that Gorilla isn't just a pet; she's also a mirror. Like many children, Cecilia sees her own best and worst qualities in her bossy, beautiful cat, who is, she says, "like stubborn me." A fill-the-page portrait of dreadlocked, brown Cecelia, arm and arm with a blue-eyed, white best friend opens this playful, insightful poetry collection (classified as fiction) with an image of open-hearted friendship."

CONNECTIONS
Students would be asked to write a poem about their pet. For those who may not have a pet, ask them to choose their favorite animal and write a poem. In another session, art work could be done to correlate with the poem written. Poems could be read aloud to the class and bound in a book for students to read. (You may need to ask that they not write about a pet cat, as many would copy what was in this particular book).

Students who liked this book would also like:

Grimes, Nikki. THANKS A MILLION. ISBN 9780688172923

Grimes, Nikki. A POCKETFUL OF POEMS. ISBN 9780395938683

Simms, Tayback. I MISS YOU EVERY DAY. ISBN 0670061921