One Gorilla: A Counting Book [Paperback]

Atsuko Morozumi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Here is a list of the things I love.
One gorilla.
Two butterflies among my flowers--and one gorilla.
Tree budgerigars in my house--and one gorilla.

One very playful gorilla keeps popping up in gardens, forests, jungles, and even people's houses as he takes the reader on a wild counting adventure. He hides--as much as a gorilla can!--along with all the other creatures as they dart, leap, and peer from the most surprising places, waiting to be counted. A chart at the end of the book provides a key to all the animals and their corresponding numbers.

Soft, precise illustrations characterize this colorful counting book.

 

One Gorilla is a 1990 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- In this beautifully illustrated counting book, a narrator lists beloved things, including a gorilla, butterflies, pandas, etc. To imagine a child daydreaming about different animals, picturing them in their various habitats, will conjure up a good idea of what this picture book is like. The illustrations, delicately drawn but vividly colored, have a misty quality to them that adds to the air of fantasy. A whimsical gorilla stands in for the narrator, journeying through home, fields, forests, the sea, and even snowy China, counting off a new collection of animals along the way. The pictures delightfully capture the personality of each animal. Searching out the creatures in each two-page spread is enjoyable and moderately challenging. Since the illustrations leave unobtrusive white spaces for the text, the words stand out crisply and are easy to read. A major flaw in the design, however, is that not enough space is allowed in the illustrations for binding. The transition between some pages is choppy (the two parts do not meet correctly), and in one case a bird that is supposed to be counted is almost swallowed up into the gutter. Nevertheless, the technical distractions are not serious enough to outweigh the positive aspects of this appealing book. --Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, County of Henrico Public Library--Fairfield Area Library, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"The smiling gorilla wanders through house, garden, jungle, woods, storm and sea, blissfully counting and being counted till the numbers equal 10. Delightful." --The New York Times Book Review.

"Fun...Sweet and visually playful...great to share aloud." --Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 7th Sunburst p edition (April 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374456461
• ISBN-13: 978-0374456467
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #475,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Apes & Monkeys

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just a lovely preschool book!, September 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: One Gorilla: A Counting Book (Paperback)

The art work in this lovely book is incredible. It also lends itself to reading and re-reading. For the youngest children, you can point at different parts of the lovely pictures (they are set in different seasons and environments), and as they mature, you can "hunt" for the different animals in each picture. (one gorilla, two budgerigars,...nine cats...). A true gem!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do You Love Gorillas?, April 23, 2002

By 

Barbara Thurlow (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Gorilla: A Counting Book (Paperback)

If so, then you must see this book. It is just absolutely beautiful, and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. I have an extensive collection of children's books featuring gorillas, and this is by far my favorite for very young readers. Ms. Morozumi obviously loves her subject matter as much as I do.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A work of Art!!!, February 11, 2007

By 

Brad Switzer (Pacifica, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One Gorilla: A Counting Book (Paperback)

This is, by far, the most beautifully illustrated childrens book I have ever owned! As a preschool teacher, I have read and re-read this book to hundreds of children. They all love to find the hidden animals. Some childrens books have illustrations that, to me, say, "I'll just scribble anything on the paper...it's just a kids book." Atsuko treats this book as artwork....and that is truly what it is!!! It is a pleasure to look at all of the beautiful scenes on every page.