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Still a Gorilla! with read along CD
Will Willy be another type of animal?
No!
Still a gorilla!
In this fun, zany picture book, Willy the Gorilla imitates other animals at the zoo, including a lion, a walrus, a billy goat, an alligator, and a kangaroo. But pretending to be something he is not never works out. What if he just tried to be himself?
In the end, Willy is still a gorilla -- and that's something everyone can appreciate! Still a Gorilla! is a funny, wacky, rhyming picture book that teaches the importance of being yourself.
No!
Still a gorilla!
In this fun, zany picture book, Willy the Gorilla imitates other animals at the zoo, including a lion, a walrus, a billy goat, an alligator, and a kangaroo. But pretending to be something he is not never works out. What if he just tried to be himself?
In the end, Willy is still a gorilla -- and that's something everyone can appreciate! Still a Gorilla! is a funny, wacky, rhyming picture book that teaches the importance of being yourself.
Audio CD
First published July 26, 2016
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Kim Norman
38 books63 followersKim Norman is the author of more than a dozen children’s books published by Sterling, Scholastic and two Penguin imprints. Titles include Ten on the Sled, (Sterling) which spent weeks on Barnes and Noble’s Top Ten bestseller list and has been released in Korean and German editions as well as appearing in Scholastic Book Fairs in schools around North America. I Know a Wee Piggy, was reviewed in the New York Times, and is listed on the Texas “2x2 Reading List,” as well being offered by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Kim has a long history of theater & musical performing, which she enjoys including in her school visits and presentations. Songs and videos on her website, kimnormanbooks.com
Kim has a long history of theater & musical performing, which she enjoys including in her school visits and presentations. Songs and videos on her website, kimnormanbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 5, 2016
While I give the author credit for the adorable title, I find something a bit insidious in the message. She may not have intended it, but the idea that you cannot change what you are no matter what sounds like a subtle indoctrination of children with conservative social values. If a gorilla can't be whatever he wants, how could a boy be a girl inside? Or, how could a girl grow up to be president?
I'm not a fan of telling children that they should just get used to the way things are and that they can't change if they want to.
I'm not a fan of telling children that they should just get used to the way things are and that they can't change if they want to.
August 28, 2016
I know I'm overthinking this...and I know the takeaway from this book is *supposed* to be "be yourself, you can't be anybody else."
But what's so bad about trying something different? It's healthy to remake yourself every so often, and I resented the way the animals would laugh at Willy when he tried and failed at something new. Sure, there's a time when kids need to realize that they're only human, but this book came across with a little too strong of a "know your place" message for me.
But what's so bad about trying something different? It's healthy to remake yourself every so often, and I resented the way the animals would laugh at Willy when he tried and failed at something new. Sure, there's a time when kids need to realize that they're only human, but this book came across with a little too strong of a "know your place" message for me.
July 26, 2016
Silly fun. Will work well in toddler storytime.
January 24, 2018
Why does Willy want to be other things so bad and why won't the world let him be who he feels he should be? Poor Willy...
May 13, 2017
3* art
5* story
Oh Squirt laughs over the little gorilla trying to be a walrus! That was his favorite part. Good for a chuckle.
5* story
Oh Squirt laughs over the little gorilla trying to be a walrus! That was his favorite part. Good for a chuckle.
Read
April 9, 2020Will Willy ever get to be another type of animal? Or Will he still be a gorilla? Follow Willy as he tries out being a lion, billy goat, walrus, and others in this silly rhyming zoo book. Have fun acting out all the different types of animals and the sounds each one might make with your little ones as you go too! Enjoy this one now by checking out a copy on Mymcpl.org or searching for it on Overdrive! – Reviewed by Stephanie at MCPL Reading Rocket
June 7, 2019
Very silly! Excellent story time choice - lots of fun animal noises!
March 6, 2024
My 7 year old absolutely loves book!
January 2, 2018
One of my grandson's favorites!
March 30, 2017
Cute pictures. Cute seeing Willy try to be things he's not. A fluff addition for a preschool storytime. Might consider for toddler, though the length might be too long for the crowd. Good for a lap-read. If one REALLY wants to seek deeper meanings the way it seems some children's books do these days, this one is very refreshing to me. :-)
2/22/17 Opener for G theme. I stumbled a bit at the beginning because my head wasn't quite there from a headache and this one antsy boy was a bit distracting until I actually said, "It's my turn to talk." Guess that worked.... The kids loved the pictures on this and liked imitating all the animals, too. A really good choice for the crowd I had (which included some newbies who were too young for the group).
2/22/17 Opener for G theme. I stumbled a bit at the beginning because my head wasn't quite there from a headache and this one antsy boy was a bit distracting until I actually said, "It's my turn to talk." Guess that worked.... The kids loved the pictures on this and liked imitating all the animals, too. A really good choice for the crowd I had (which included some newbies who were too young for the group).
November 1, 2022
I originally considered this as a toddler storytime book because the illustrations are so large and clear: perfect for showing around a room. I also thought the little ones would enjoy pretending to be different animals with Willy. I knew I'd made a good pick when the crowd started saying the repeated line--"Still a gorilla"--with me.
8/28/20 Edit:
Chose this book for an outdoor storytime because of the clear illustrations. The story seems to skew more toddler than preschool, but they did think Willy was very, very silly.
8/28/20 Edit:
Chose this book for an outdoor storytime because of the clear illustrations. The story seems to skew more toddler than preschool, but they did think Willy was very, very silly.
March 25, 2019
Willy, the gorilla, hilariously imitates other animals. After each, the reader is asked if he is now that animal which presents the perfect storytime phrase "No. Still a gorilla." for the audience to repeat.
August 10, 2016
Fun book with bright pictures of zoo animals. Gorilla wants to know if he acts like another animal if he becomes one...of course he does not but he does become silly! But he is still a gorilla no matter what he does. Fun for story time.
August 16, 2016
A very cute book and great for story time! Willy the gorilla wants to be like other animals at the zoo so he starts acting like them. However it doesn't work because he is still a gorilla. Very funny and kids would have a great time acting out with this book.
December 28, 2015
Adorable! Kids will be shouting "Still a gorilla!" with nearly every page turn.
July 22, 2016
This is a great book for the young ones with large colorful illustrations, repetitive phrases and rhyming words.
July 29, 2016
Cute! good call and response, clever repetition of sounds and phrases.
August 10, 2016
Cute; would work well in storytime. Animal traits, animal sounds
August 20, 2016
This cute story with it's repetition and rollicking rhyme paired with bright, energetic illustrations would be a fun read aloud.
August 17, 2016
This will be an adorable storytime read.
Themes: gorillas, zoos
Themes: gorillas, zoos
August 16, 2016
Clever book to introduce being yourself. Pretending to be someone else doesn't work out.
June 9, 2017
TED 8650 Children’s Literature
Literature Extension One- Opening Moves
Picture Book Two
Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman,
illustrated by Chad Geran
When doing a read aloud of the book Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman I would begin with my first opening move by saying to the class, “Close your eyes and think of a time you wished you could be something else. An animal perhaps? Why did you want to change who you are?” In this story we will read about Willy, who tries to act like other zoo animals and be something else. I think that by asking the children to relate to their own circumstances they will be able to identify more with Willy the gorilla. This opening move Fountas and Pinnel describe as “prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the text or theme.”
A second opening move I’d use on this book would be to say to the class, “This book has lots of animals that we’d see at the zoo. Let's see if we can count how many different ones we can find.” This opening move would get the students interested in the topic of wild animals, which goes along with other books in the text set I have chosen. This opening move would fall under “raise interest in a topic or theme.”
I chose this book because it fits my text set of fiction books with animals as the main character.It also is a repetitious book, which is great for young readers.It will go along well with the other three books I’ve chosen, which have alligators, giraffes, and polar bears all as the main characters.
Fountas and Pinnell, Engaging Readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud, chapter 15 pg. 226
Literature Extension One- Opening Moves
Picture Book Two
Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman,
illustrated by Chad Geran
When doing a read aloud of the book Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman I would begin with my first opening move by saying to the class, “Close your eyes and think of a time you wished you could be something else. An animal perhaps? Why did you want to change who you are?” In this story we will read about Willy, who tries to act like other zoo animals and be something else. I think that by asking the children to relate to their own circumstances they will be able to identify more with Willy the gorilla. This opening move Fountas and Pinnel describe as “prompt brief sharing of personal experiences related to the text or theme.”
A second opening move I’d use on this book would be to say to the class, “This book has lots of animals that we’d see at the zoo. Let's see if we can count how many different ones we can find.” This opening move would get the students interested in the topic of wild animals, which goes along with other books in the text set I have chosen. This opening move would fall under “raise interest in a topic or theme.”
I chose this book because it fits my text set of fiction books with animals as the main character.It also is a repetitious book, which is great for young readers.It will go along well with the other three books I’ve chosen, which have alligators, giraffes, and polar bears all as the main characters.
Fountas and Pinnell, Engaging Readers in thinking and talking about texts through interactive read aloud, chapter 15 pg. 226
August 4, 2017
adorable! Willy contemplates how he can become different animals from around the zoo. Children are asked if Willy does X, will he become the animal? Then you turn the page and see that no, Willy is still a gorilla. There is a great repeat children will quickly catch on and be able to recipe with readers. The pictures are simple, but engaging and fill the pages with bright colors. I really liked how the author asks "Will he?" through out the book. It is fun to ask the children if they noticed how the gorilla's name is Will-he (willy)? and see how many of them pick up on it.
August 19, 2022
Love, Love, love this book! I love how this book shows that there are some things that will never change no matter how we feel about them and no matter what you do to change them. A gorilla will always be a gorilla. I love books that point out how there is absolute truth in this world no matter how others feel about it.
May 18, 2019
Adorable! As a children's librarian, I'm always looking for great read-alouds and this one is definitely on my list now. The kids were catching on and able to guess the next line with the repeating phrase. Lovely illustrations and a great message about being yourself, whoever you may be.
December 22, 2019
Willy wants to be something other than a gorilla ... A lion perhaps or a walrus. But no matter how hard he tries, Willy is still a gorilla.
Fun illustrations with an important message will make this a good read aloud for pre-k kids.
Fun illustrations with an important message will make this a good read aloud for pre-k kids.
September 7, 2021
I used this book in a virtual storytime for two year olds and used it today in a preschool storytime. It made a very good last book, short, simple and somewhat interactive. Everyone, joined in on "Still a Gorilla!"
October 17, 2025
A silly repetitive story about a gorilla at a zoo who tries to be other animals to no avail. You can make it interactive by asking children what sounds the various animals make. Not great literature, but a decent storytime pick for the letter "G."
February 9, 2017
Very fun and bright illustrations! Silly storyline. I am guessing that reading it aloud will be a lot more fun. We shall see...
May 20, 2017
No matter what Willy the gorilla does to be anothr animal he finds he's always still a gorilla.
Cute rhyming story with simple, fun, bold illustrations.
Cute rhyming story with simple, fun, bold illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews