[BOOK REVIEW] Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

Title:  Good Night, Gorilla

Author:  Peggy Rathmann

Genre:  Bedtime / Animals / Zoo / Humor / Children's

Year Published: 1994

Year Read:  2017

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 4+  (Nothing Objectionable)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

Now, I have a confession to make: I have often seen the book “Good Night, Gorilla” by Peggy Rathmann around many times when I was little and yet, I had never bothered to pick up the book despite the adorable looking cover.  It was not until years later (way into my adulthood) that I finally got the chance to pick up this book and I have to say that I cannot believe that I waited this long to pick up this charming little picture book!

The story starts off with a zookeeper saying goodnight to a gorilla in his cage and as soon as the zookeeper goes off to say goodnight to the other zoo animals, the gorilla slyly take the keys from the zookeeper’s pockets and unlocks himself out of the cage.  As the zookeeper goes around saying goodnight to the other animals, the gorilla quietly follows the zookeeper around, while freeing the other animals, which includes an elephant, a lion, a hyena, a giraffe and an armadillo, from their cages without the zookeeper noticing anything wrong.  When the zookeeper finally goes back to his home to get a good night’s rest, the zoo animals ended up following him inside his house and…

Will the zookeeper discover that the animals are out of their cages?

Read this book to find out!

I cannot believe that I waited for years to actually read this book and it was definitely worth the wait!  Peggy Rathmann had done an excellent job at writing and illustrating this book as I found this story to be extremely hilarious and cute!  I really loved the way that Peggy Rathmann made the zookeeper and the gorilla’s adventures so cute and interesting at the same time as I was smiling the whole time during the scenes where the gorilla used the zookeeper’s keys to free the other animals from their cages.  I also thought that it was cute about how the animals followed the zookeeper to his home as it added a unique twist to the usual children’s story about animals and the zoo as we have the animals actually break out of the zoo to follow the zookeeper home.  Peggy Rathmann’s artwork was cute and gorgeous to look at as all the zoo animals are adorable looking, especially the small mouse and the armadillo and I also loved the fact that the majority of the story takes place during the night as it gives the artwork a soothing feel.  I also loved the way that Peggy Rathmann made the backgrounds so luscious as it gives the artwork a beautiful feel to the story.

Overall, “Good Night, Gorilla” is a truly cute and hilarious story that children who love reading books that take place in the zoo and bedtime stories will definitely enjoy for many years!  I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.

You might also like:

• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

• The Napping House by Audrey Wood

• The Full Moon at the Napping House by Audrey Wood

The Friday 56 #6: The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

Hey everyone! I'm participating in another book meme called the Friday 56, which is hosted by Freda's Voice! Here are a couple of rules for this meme:


Rules:
 
*Grab a book, any book and find a creative way to showcase your 56. It can be a photo of the book and the 56 in comments or whatever you come up with.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. 

"Megan purses her lips. "But she's not.  She knows way too freaking much to be a product of your subconscious - no offense."

"Thanks for knowing that.  But the point is, Alice Chan isn't a counselor.  She's a researcher.  She says herself these hallucinations are really 'visitations and psychic phenomena.' Maybe she knows how to induce them.  If she can bring Grandmother back..."  I trail off, and Megan reaches across the middle console to squeeze my hand."
pg. 56 

Book Blogger Hop #19: March 31st - April 6th

Hello everyone! I'm participating in another book meme called the Book Blogger Hop which is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer!  Basically, you just answer weekly questions and then post up your link on the question's page.

This week's question is : 

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews!  

Do you visit every listed blog in the linky list when you are participating in a meme?

I usually try to visit every blog on a book meme with a linky list, but when it comes to book memes that have a lot of participants such as The Sunday Post and Top Ten Tuesday, I can only get through some of the blogs since it would take me all day to get through all of the blogs on the list.  But, I usually would try again the next day to get to the rest of the bloggers on the linky list.

Blog Tour + Book Blitz: Friend Zoned by Wren Michaels

All's fair in love and war,
until someone ends up in an arranged marriage.

FRIEND ZONED

WREN MICHAELS

Genre: New Adult Romance, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Wren Michaels
Publication Date: March 28, 2017

Add to Goodreads

Catherine 'Cat' Marek has a sociology paper due on dissecting the laws of attraction. Project Panty Drop will case study two different men; one she'll go after in person and the other she'll attempt to charm online. Hiding behind her beauty, she tries to cover up her true geeky side, and the fact that she's partially deaf.

Jaidev 'Jai' Sankar needs to knock out a paper for his online sociology class. After an encounter with the Texas Tease, Cat Marek, he decides Project Friend Zoned will be the ultimate topic, proving a guy can remain in the friend zone with a girl he finds attractive.

As Cat puts the moves into overdrive, Jai finds it harder to remain in the 'friend zone' with her. The only thing keeping him from letting go is the fact his hardcore Hindu parents have a wedding scheduled for him. When neither can resist their attraction, the fight no longer becomes about their papers, but about the freedom to love each other.

Wren Michaels never disappoints me, and Friend Zoned was no different. ... Get this one. You won't be disappointed.
- LeTeisha Newton, Goodreads Reviewer

With a mix of old world and new this book does NOT disappoint! I highly recommend it!!
- Sylvia Schneider, Goodreads Reviewer

Purchase Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

Excerpt From the Book

Her face haunted me. The adorable dimple pitted in her cheek caught my eye first. Sexy full lips that folded into a gorgeous smile just about took my breath away. I did my best not to continuously stare at her, managing to throw just a few glances here and there hoping she got the message. But she didn't take the bait. Instead, she gave me a 'too good for you' glance while she plowed down a server on her way to the bathroom, probably to restock the toilet paper in her bra.

The Texas Tease, I called it. Lots of girls at UT had it—this one in particular—in spades. Shorter than my normal tastes, her alluring doe-eyes caught me off guard. The memory of her petite frame sashaying as she worked those sexy, black pumps played on a loop in my head. Along with the way her long, brown hair bounced with every step like a damn shampoo commercial.

She drove me insane, and I didn't even know her name. At least Mick confirmed she was a student at UT, apparently in one of his Economics classes.

She intrigued me, sitting in a sports bar drinking beer while her prissy friend sipped wine. I even caught her glancing at the Longhorn game on the big screen. A cute girl who likes beer and football? Every guy's dream. If only she weren't a snob. But, I'd put her in her place. And I had the perfect plan.

The ring of my Skype alert disrupted my plotting. Incoming message from Kanti, my best friend.

Kanti: Hey …

Me: What's up, brat?

Kanti: You busy?

Me: Never too busy for you.

Kanti: Stop with the sugar, you're giving me diabetes.

Me: LOL Better get used to it.

Kanti: Ugh. Don't remind me. Quick, what do you want for your birthday? You got the new Mortal Kombat release already?

Me: Yeah, of course I do. But you don't have to get me anything. You know that.

Kanti: I can't NOT get you anything.

Me: Tell me you talked to your parents and the wedding's called off. That would be an awesome present.

Kanti: Seriously? You know that isn't even in the realm of possibilities. So shut it.

Me: I can dream, can't I?

Kanti: Yeah, and I know what you do in those dreams. Not even going there.

Me: You're such a bitch. Why do I love you?

Kanti: Because we're best friends.

Me: Well, there's that.

Mick yelled through the door. “Jai, you comin' down or what?”

“In a minute,” I replied.

Me: I gotta go. Kegger tonight and we're hosting.

Kanti: Email me and let me know what to get you.

Me: Fine.

Kanti: LOL Kiss Kiss

Me: Whatever. LOL TTYL

I closed the lid on my laptop as Mick flung the door open.

“People are starting to arrive. You're on keg duty first.”

I tossed him a nod. “Yeah, I know. I'm coming. Just finishing up some notes on my Sociology project.”

“I thought you dropped that class?” He folded his arms, leaning against the door-frame.

“I was going to until Professor Wilkinson agreed to let me take it online, since it's the same time as my cinematography course.” I pulled out a notepad. “What'd you say that chick's name was again? The one we saw at the bar today.”

“Catherine Marek. But I think she goes by Cat.” Mick shrugged. “Why? I thought you said she was a snob, and you weren't gonna pursue her?”

“Oh, I'm not. I got my sights set on another girl I've been talking to for a little while. But I think that Cat chick will make for a perfect target on my sociology paper.” I wrote down her name and underlined it five times. “I'm calling it, Friend Zoned.”

Mick laughed. “Oh, this ought to be good. What're you gonna do?”

“It's what I'm not gonna do that's going be the best part. I'm going to act like I'm interested, then when she takes the bait, I'll friend zone her. I'm going to prove that a guy can be sexually attracted to a girl who's interested in him and still remain only friends. I'll be the best 'friend' she's ever gonna have.”

Giveaway

WIN

Prizes up for grabs:
Winner's choice of a book from the Author's backlist
$10 Amazon Gift Card

Contest runs from March 30 - April 1, 2017.

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About Wren Michaels

Wren hails from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin where beer and cheese are their own food groups. But a cowboy swept her off her feet and carried her below the Mason-Dixon line to Texas, where she promptly lost all tolerance for cold and snow. Fueled by coffee, dreams, and men in kilts, Wren promises to bring you laughter, sexy fun time, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The easiest way to her heart is anything to do with the Green Bay Packers, Doctor Who, or Joss Whedon.

Represented by Margaret Bail of Fuse Literary Agency.

Official website: https://wrenmichaels.com/

Connect with Wren Michaels on social media:

Facebook | Twitter

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[BOOK REVIEW] We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy by Maurice Sendak

Title:  We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy

Author:  Maurice Sendak

Genre:  Homelessness / Friendship / Surrealism / Nursery Rhyme

Year Published: 1993

Year Read:  2008

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Violent Imagery)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

“We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy” (whew, long title name!) is a Mother Goose nursery rhyme along with illustrations by Maurice Sendak.  This book tells the tale of two guys trying to save a kid and a lot of kittens from a band of shrewd rats.  This book may not be a classic like “Where the Wild Things Are” and “In the Night Kitchen,” but it is still full of good humor and excitement!

The nursery rhyme is surreal yet creative to read because the characters themselves are not what you would expect from a normal nursery rhyme.  The characters seem to be tough and even cruel to a certain extent but they are also brave and even friendly especially when Jack and Guy seem to hate the kid at the beginning of the book but they risk their lives to save the kid at the end.  The moon is the most surreal character of all as it tortures anyone who harms the kittens and the kid such as when the rat bites the kid and the moon ended up carrying Jack and Guy towards the rye field and when Jack tried to hit the kid, the moon transformed into an intimidating looking cat. Maurice Sendak’s illustrations are truly surrealistic yet beautiful as he makes the main characters dress up in old rags and running around the streets with no shoes to wear.  The moon’s image is surreal as it has a grumpy looking face throughout the whole book and looks menacing when it transforms into a cat that is white all over and has intense looking eyes.

“We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy” may not have the comforting tone as “Where the Wild Things Are” or light humor like “In the Night Kitchen,” but it is certainly a truly unique and creative little book as it is in a nursery rhyme format.  Many children ages five and up would greatly enjoy this book as soon as they get pass the violent images and understand the confusing plot.

You might also like:

• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

• In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak

• Outside Over There by Maurice Sendak

Waiting on Wednesday #33: Now I Rise by Kiersten White

Hello everyone! "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that is hosted by Breaking the Spine and the purpose of this event is that we spotlight upcoming releases of books that we are excited for!  This will also tie into Wishful Ending's Can't Wait Wednesday post!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title:  Now I Rise

Author:  Kiersten White

Expected Publication Date:  June 27th, 2017  

Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.

I haven't read the first book "And I Darken" yet, but this definitely sounds like an interesting read and I'll read it as soon as I read the first book!

So, what upcoming books are you looking forward to?  Please respond below!