School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-A funny, exuberant rhyming bedtime story about what really goes on at the zoo at night. When kids visit the animals during the day, the gorillas are all lethargic. It turns out, they have been dancing all night. The zookeeper Jed tries to get them to go to sleep but eventually joins the dance party, too. The pictures have deep, vibrant colors and lots of action. The gorillas do lots of different kinds of dancing, such as the tango, the Charleston, reggae, funk, and even the robot. Some of the gorillas also act as disc jockeys and swing from the trees. The friendly gorillas look like they are having a great time. Kids will enjoy the rhymes in this funny, busy picture book, and the vibrant artwork adds to the fun. -VERDICT A rollicking read-aloud for storytime, but parents might want a quieter selection for -bedtime.-Debbie Tanner, S D Spady -Montessori Elementary, FL © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The premise of this goofy rhyming story is that kids on safaris are bored by the sleepy gorillas. Little do these children know that the gorillas are tired because they have rollicking all-night parties, despite the rules of stern (or is he?) safari guide Jungle Jed. Vibrant, humorous illustrations show off the gorillas' antics (and dance moves) in the familiar but entertaining bedtime romp. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Zoo gorillas aren't lazy slugabedsthe secret revealed!At this zoo, the great apes come at the end, and kids are usually happy to ride on past. "They claim apes are dull. They say, Apes are boring!' / This one is yawning! And this one is snoring!' " After the humans are gone though, the gorillas get up and have a giant feast, capped with a marshmallow roast. Then zookeeper Jungle Jed shoos them to bedbut they don't stay there. The record albums come out, and the dance-floor lights flash. "Some tango, some Charleston, / one does the fox-trot. / But Baby is old school: / he does the robot!" (Caregivers may find this construction of "old school" mystifying.) Jungle Jed shuts them down, but the sneaky simians resume their party once he's gone. Jed breaks up their conga line by shaking his fistand then the rhythm gets him; everyone dances until dawn! Wensink's first book for children would be just another zoo-after-dark rhyme were it not for Wragg's bright, bold acrylics. Goofy, grinning gorillas getting their grooves on cavort across the pages. The jewel-toned, full-bleed illustrations resemble cutouts and have charisma to spare. Little ones will enjoy these jammie-clad jams, though the book may inspire more dancing than snoozing. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
