Module 1: African American Poetry Book Review- Nikki Grimes

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING by Nikki Grimes

(Grimes, Nikki. 2007. WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING. Ill. by Shane Evans. New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 9780439317702)

Nikki Grimes offers a good mix of many different types of poems in this poetry book about a girl named Cecilia and her beloved cat, Gorilla. The nineteen poems included in this book seem to be arranged in chronological order, following Cecilia’s journey from first getting Gorilla through a series of adventures and experiences with the cat. The poems vary in both length and style, and while many of the poems rhyme, not all of them do. For example, the poem IN THE MIRROR packs a powerful punch in a short poem that does not rhyme:

IN THE MIRROR by Nikki Grimes

Gorilla gazes
into a puddle. Does she
know she’s beautiful?

Many of the poems in this book convey Cecilia’s love and affection for her cat in a way that animal lovers of all ages will easily relate to. Grimes skillfully uses a combination of rhythmic language and imagery in some of the poems. For example, in the poem GORILLA, Grimes states, “She has no tail./ She’s rain-cloud gray./ I love that cool cat/ more each day.” Some of the poems are humorous and upbeat like the poem JEALOUS, in which the jealous and demanding nature of Gorilla is described so perfectly that cat lovers of all ages will laugh out loud. On the other hand, some of the poems take on a significantly more emotional and sad tone, such as COMFORT, which describes the day Cecilia’s best friend (also named Cecilia) moves away:

COMFORT by Nikki Grimes

My best friend
packed my heart
and moved away.
Gorilla raised a paw
and pet me.
I think I cried
a dozen times
that day.
Gorilla drank my tears
and let me.

Grimes also injects a hint of culture into some of the poems by describing Gorilla’s collar that is painted like an African flag in PAINTED COLLAR and mentioning Gorillas’ affinity for “soul food” in LITTLE MISS FUSSY.

Shane Evans’ colorful illustrations will engage children and offer a variety of humorous depictions of Gorilla and her emotions. The illustrations skillfully offer readers entertaining visual extensions of the poetry without overpowering the language in the poems. The front cover of the book, which features a close-up illustration of Gorilla with shiny silver whiskers and a shiny silver tag on her collar announcing the title of the book, will attract readers to pick up and explore the book.

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING would make a perfect introductory book to poetry for children due to the variety of poems included in the book and the fact that it will appeal to the millions of children who enjoy reading books about pets. The poems are basic enough to be accessible to even young children, yet the word choice leaves room for many layers of meaning. Cecilia’s love for Gorilla can easily be felt throughout all of the poems in the book. However, as young readers read and reread the poems in this book, they might also discover that Cecilia’s descriptions of her cat could also be reflections of some of Cecilia’s own qualities.

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES:
*Prior to reading this poetry book, invite children to write or draw what they like about their own pets or pets they wish they could have. As a group, discuss pets and why they can be important to their owners.

*Ask children to brainstorm a list of qualities about cats and to share personal stories and experiences they've had with cats. Then, tell them that they are about to meet a very cool cat named Gorilla before sharing the poetry with them.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
*Have children create a card for a pet they know (either their own pet, a friend’s pet, or a class pet). Encourage children to use words in their cards (possibly in the form of poems) that convey how they feel about the pet.

*Ask children why they think Cecilia named her cat Gorilla. Discuss as a group why Gorilla might be a fitting name (or even a not-so-fitting name) for this cat (refer back to the poems as needed for descriptions of Gorilla's qualities).