Tag Archives: Good Night Gorilla

A Sick Day for Amos McGee

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Amos McGee works at the City Zoo. Every day, he gets up early and rides the bus to work. Although he has “a lot to do at the zoo,” he always makes time “to visit his good friends” (an elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl). But one day, he awakes “with the sniffles, and the sneezes, and the chills.” He can’t go to work. So his good friends come to him.

This gentle book is the reading equivalent of lemon tea with honey. Warm, comforting, and sweet, it is good for what ails you. (And I like to think its red balloon is a homage to another of our favorites, Good Night, Gorilla.)

Author: Philip C. Stead
Illustrator: Erin E. Stead

Good Night, Gorilla

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My youngest loved this book as a young toddler.  He’d ask for it every night before bed and we’d watch the gorilla release all of his animal friends so they could follow the zookeeper home.  We’d loved the details, like the toy in each animals’ cage,  the balloon that drifts through each double-page spread, and the mouse constantly lugging around a huge banana.  He would giggle and giggle when one of the characters got a big surprise.  A real charmer and, of course, perfect for bedtime. (He also loved the Scholastic video version of the book, which is less detailed but equally sweet.)

Author:  Peggy Rathmann
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann