Gorilla

We'll go on (as we should) discussing the depiction of deep and complex feelings in books for the young. Alongside this, we need to look closely at the art and craft of a writer-artist who never dodges the opportunity to link reading with feeling. Here, Hannah feels neglected by her father, so imagines herself a gorilla who takes her to the zoo. That's the story I read. But the young (and I've read this with sixes up to twelves) will need the time and space to tell their own, and to look at the ways in which Browne makes it mean. Through light and dark, shadows, perspective, framing of pictures, cinematic and televisual techniques which they often 'read' better than we do. Like all his books, a rich, multi-faceted reading experience.