Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Ready, Set, GOrilla!

Rate this book
Gorilla loves racing with his pals, and he'll do anything to win. Until . . . Gopher arrives and stops Gorilla in his tracks. Then Cheetah ambles by. Now the challenge is really on. Ready, Set, GO!

38 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2025

1 person is currently reading
2003 people want to read

About the author

Melissa Stoller

14 books55 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
38 (77%)
4 stars
8 (16%)
3 stars
1 (2%)
2 stars
1 (2%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Gayle Krause.
Author 7 books38 followers
March 21, 2019
Winning isn’t everything, especially when friends are more important. Gorilla is so competitive because he always wants to win, but when Gopher and Cheetah bet him at his own cheating game Gorilla learns what it’s like to lose unfairly and he realizes that more than winning, he wants friends. Excellent good sportsmanship discussion starter for young children.
Profile Image for Kate Talbot.
Author 5 books9 followers
November 24, 2018
A cute story about the importance of friendship with a message that reinforces that winning is not always the most important thing. A great addition to any book collection with lively illustrations and quirky wordplay.
Profile Image for Alayne Kay.
Author 9 books5 followers
March 27, 2019
Ready set GOrilla is a fun refrain throughout the book that I imagine young readers (and listeners) will love saying along with the story. But that’s just part of the fun that Melissa Stoller’s words and Sandy Steen Bartholomew’s illustrations have created. The art is so full of life. The colorful, large text that pops up in addition to the regular text just adds to the design of this book. Younger kids will most likely enjoy listening while studying all that is going on in the illustrations where older kids will likely enjoy reading because of the fun layout. So, on to the story. It’s hard to make friends when you will do anything to win no matter whom it might harm. But this cheating gorilla finally meets his match—a confident, smart-thinking, muscle-flexing, knuckle-cracking gopher. The two of them battle it out until another “win at all cost” competitor shows up, and they find that perhaps they’ve been doing things all wrong all along. This is an excellent story to get kids thinking about losing versus winning, being treated the way you would like to be treated, the purpose of rules, and much more.
Profile Image for Sharon Coffey.
59 reviews5 followers
December 3, 2018
Gorilla loves to race. He’ll do anything to win, including cheating. One by one, Gorilla loses all his friends. Find out what happens when Gorilla gets a taste of his own medicine.

This is a story children can easily connect with. Everyone knows a Gorilla or two. The GO play on words adds a fun read aloud element. Bartholomew’s funny illustrations will have you laughing out loud. The animals are active, expressive and cute as can be.

Favorite Line: “Off they raced . . . And everyone was a winner.”

Profile Image for Tina Shepardson.
136 reviews16 followers
April 2, 2019
Ready, Set, Gorilla is such a timeless story about friendship. As children are developing their relational skills with their family and the world around them, Gorilla teaches them in a humorous way that in order to have friends you have to be a friend. Your own needs cannot exceed those of others. Melissa Stoller crafts this story with beautiful rhythmic, lyrical language as Sandy Steen Bartholomew carries us through with the most colorful and humorous illustrations. This is the perfect combination to read and discuss such an important life skill. A read aloud for every generation!
Profile Image for Evelyn Bookless.
Author 6 books6 followers
January 7, 2019
A fun, fast-paced story with a subtle but important message that children will easily relate to. Gorilla loves to race and will do anything to win, including cheating. With the loss of his friends and the arrival of some tough competition, Gorilla is faced with a choice.

This is a fun story to read aloud and the illustrations are full of life. A must for schools and libraries and a wonderful addition to every home.

Profile Image for Jolene Gutiérrez.
Author 11 books290 followers
February 7, 2019
Gorilla wants to win. He's so competitive that his friends get hurt when they race him. When Gopher takes a shortcut in a race and Cheetah is a cheater, Gorilla gets a taste of his own medicine. He wants to win, but he also wants friends. Can Gorilla learn how to play fair? Filled with fun language and engaging illustrations, kids will love Gorilla, and the book will give you a chance to discuss good sportsmanship and teamwork.
Profile Image for Jenna Grodzicki.
Author 52 books34 followers
December 18, 2018
Ready, Set, GOrilla! is a delightful story with a subtle but important message. Gorilla loves to race, but he often resorts to cheating to ensure a victory. When Gopher and Cheetah come to town, Gorilla may have met his match. The adorable illustrations complement the text perfectly. This book is must-have for any classroom or library!
Profile Image for Angela.
Author 3 books4 followers
March 1, 2019
This is an adorable picture book about learning to lose games with grace and to be a good sport.
Profile Image for Annette Schottenfeld.
Author 4 books6 followers
May 4, 2019
Young readers will learn the true meaning of being a winner in this perfectly paced book by Melissa Stoller. The frolicking, fun animals will have children asking for this book over and over again.
Profile Image for Eleanor Peterson.
Author 1 book9 followers
June 4, 2019
Although kids all want to be winners, Gorilla soon finds out that he's not the only one that wants to win. Cute book about fair play. Beautifully illustrated, kids will love this book.
Profile Image for Kirsti Call.
Author 6 books64 followers
December 2, 2019
Clever story about competition, cheating, and making sure everyone is having fun.
Profile Image for Amit Kumar.
104 reviews
May 13, 2021
Beautiful📚 😁 interestingly, Fun, Good message ( friendship). I enjoyed.So I recommend to friends and parents.
Thank you!
Profile Image for Melissa Trempe.
Author 3 books16 followers
March 9, 2024
My son and I love Ready Set Gorilla! The play on the animals’ names is such fun, and there’s a great message for kiddos in this story. Kids notice immediately when things aren’t fair, and as a teacher/parent it’s a struggle to keep things as fair as possible. Gorilla learns the hard way that if he cheats or isn’t fair, he’s going to lose all of his friends. This is a great story for classrooms, but also for at home! Adorable illustrations as well!
Profile Image for Cynthia Law.
16 reviews4 followers
Read
December 25, 2018
This is going to be a hit for our 2 year old granddaughter! I read story before wrapping. So cute with the gorilla & his gopher friend. And all the other animals they meet up with. Pictures Awesome. I won this from Goodreads contest!! Thank you Soo much
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.