Raised in a laboratory, Ortega might seem nearly human to his scientist-caregivers, but to the children at his new school, a talking gorilla is nothing but a freak. Unless he wants to spend the rest of his life locked in a cage, however, Ortega is going to have to change people’s minds. More than a comic-adventure novel, Ortega asks the reader to reflect upon the limits of science, imagine how it feels to be profoundly different from those around you and, most of all, consider what it really means to be human.
I never planned on becoming writer. As a kid, my favorite subjects in school were science and math — I dreamed of becoming a doctor or a pilot. At university I got degrees in science and business; afterwards, I had jobs in the aerospace, biopharmaceutical and financial services industries. I even taught business at college! I finally started writing when I was twenty-eight. My books have won awards and been translated into a dozen languages. My novels include The Gypsy King trilogy and Ortega, and my picture books include the critically acclaimed Buddy and Earl series, InvisiBill, The Day Santa Stopped Believing in Harold and The Reptile Club.
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