Gorilla Books for Kids · 72 titles considered

The Best Gorilla Books for Kids

Updated July 27, 2026

Gorillas arrive in children’s books with the useful contradiction already built in: they are powerful enough to bend a cage door and gentle enough to sit quietly beside a grieving child. Real gorillas live in close families, communicate with glances and gestures, and spend far more time eating leaves than pounding their chests. Storybook gorillas steal zookeepers’ keys, ask for kittens, throw banana-sized tantrums, and occasionally solve a murder. The best books keep both halves in view — the formidable animal and the patient, observant creature behind the familiar silhouette.

Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 72 gorilla books, our editors chose 10 favorites that range from nearly wordless bedtime mischief to rainforest science, true animal-welfare history, and a 600-page mystery for an older reader. Start with the shortlist, then browse by age and reading stage for sturdy toddler classics, picture books about friendship and feelings, and chapter books that carry gorillas well beyond the zoo.

#1 in Series

#26 in Series

Series

The Shortlist

Our 10 Favorite Gorilla Books

Sale price

$858

Board Book · Ages 0–2 · 1994

Good Night, Gorilla

By Peggy Rathmann

Zoo animals escape at bedtime. Who's behind it all?

32 pages

Best for

The bedtime shelf that needs one more lap

5.3/7 Bookroo·4.2/5 Goodreads · 52,379 ratings

$8.99Save 5%

Board book

Sale price

$1994

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012

The One and Only Ivan

By Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illustrator) · Book #1 in the The One and Only series

A captive gorilla's world shifts when a baby elephant arrives, challenging his view of home and art.

Newbery Medal (2013)The E.B. White Read Aloud Honor (2013)

304 pages· 25,905 words· Est. 3.5 hour read

Best for

A first Newbery novel to read together

6.0/7 Bookroo·4.3/5 Goodreads · 216,414 ratings

$20.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Sale price

$958

Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 1983

Gorilla

By Anthony Browne · Little Favourites series

A girl's birthday wish for a gorilla adventure comes true.

Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor (1986)Kate Greenaway Medal (1983)

32 pages

Best for

Children wishing for more time with Dad

4.2/5 Goodreads · 3,178 ratings

$9.99Save 4%

Paperback

Sale price

$858

Board Book · Ages 0–3 · 1976

Little Gorilla

By Ruth Bornstein

As Little Gorilla grows, will love remain constant in the forest?

28 pages

Best for

Reassurance about growing and changing

4.1/5 Goodreads · 1,064 ratings

$8.99Save 5%

Board Book

Sale price

$858

Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 2008

Little Beauty

By Anthony Browne

A lonely gorilla seeks friendship in an unexpected place.

32 pages· 207 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

Best for

An unlikely-friendship read-aloud

4.0/5 Goodreads · 1,344 ratings

$8.99Save 5%

Paperback

Sale price

$1697

Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2020

The Boy and the Gorilla

By Jackie Azúa Kramer, Cindy Derby (Illustrator)

A grieving boy finds solace in an imaginary gorilla, exploring loss and healing.

48 pages· 204 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

Best for

Helping a child ask questions about death

4.4/5 Goodreads · 579 ratings

$17.99Save 6%

Hardcover

Sale price

$1899

Picture Book · Ages 4–7 · 2014

Ivan

By Katherine Applegate, G. Brian Karas (Illustrator) · The One and Only Ivan series

A gorilla's journey from captivity to freedom sparks a movement for animal welfare.

Charlotte Zolotow Honor (2015)

40 pages· 567 words· Est. 5 min read-aloud

Best for

The true Ivan story in one sitting

4.3/5 Goodreads · 3,008 ratings

$19.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Sale price

$674

Chapter Book · Ages 6–9 · 2002

Good Morning, Gorillas

By Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illustrator) · Book #26 in the Magic Tree House series

Two siblings travel through time and space to find a special magic in an African rain forest

71 pages· 5,940 words· Est. 1 hour read

Best for

Magic Tree House fans ready for rainforest facts

3.9/5 Goodreads · 8,982 ratings

$6.99Save 4%

Paperback

Sale price

$574

Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2005

Amazing Gorillas!

By Sarah L. Thomson · Wildlife Conservation Society series

Discover gorillas and learn how to help them thrive.

32 pages

Best for

A beginning reader’s first gorilla report

4.0/5 Goodreads · 86 ratings

$5.99Save 4%

Paperback

Sale price

$1597

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2014

The Murderer's Ape

A silent gorilla must clear her friend's name in a dangerous world of secrets.

612 pages

Best for

Older readers who want a large, intricate mystery

4.3/5 Goodreads · 5,306 ratings

$16.95Save 6%

Paperback

The Bookroo Book Club

Great books, picked for their age.

Books worth reading again and again, delivered to your door.

Find their book club

Browse by age

Gorilla Board Books for Babies & Toddlers

Key-stealing zoo escapes, counting primates, and one small gorilla who discovers that growing bigger does not make him less loved — for ages 0–3.

Sale price

$799

It's a Little Book

Ages 0–3 · 2011

Is a book for chewing or wearing? Discover its true purpose.

Sale price

$699

Look!

Ages 2–5 · 2015

A gorilla's antics aim to divert a boy from his TV to the joy of books.

Sale price

$899

One Gorilla

Ages 0–3 · 2012

Count primates and discover their unique traits in this captivating journey.

View all gorilla board books

Browse by age

Gorilla Picture Books

Read-alouds and first nonfiction for ages 3–8, from moonlit adventures and unlikely friendships to photographs of gorillas in the wild.

Sale price

$1199

Gorilla Loves Vanilla

Ages 5–6 · 2016

Can Sam Sundae satisfy a gorilla's unexpected ice cream request?

Sale price

$1999

If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone

Ages 4–8 · 2025

A shy child calls a gorilla on a banana phone. What happens next?

Sale price

$1799

It's a Book

Ages 4–8 · 2010

A donkey and gorilla debate digital versus print in a playful showdown.

Sale price

$948

Voices in the Park

Ages 4–8 · 1998

Four voices, one park walk, divergent tales unfold.

Sale price

$1600

One Gorilla

Ages 4–6 · 1990

A playful gorilla leads a surprising counting adventure.

Series

Sale price

$981

Willy the Wimp

Ages 4–8 · 1985

A timid gorilla transforms after answering a body-building ad.

Disney The One and Only Ivan: Draw Me a Story

Sale price

$1799

Disney The One and Only Ivan: Draw Me a Story

Ages 4–7 · 2020

A captive gorilla's world changes when a young elephant reveals the meaning of home.

#2 in Series

Sale price

$1699

Dream

Ages 2–5 · 2017

A gorilla family dreams of their child's future possibilities and adventures.

Sale price

$1899

No Fits, Nilson!

Ages 3–5 · 2013

A girl must manage her friend's epic tantrums while learning to control her own.

Sale price

$1799

Priscilla Gorilla

Ages 4–7 · 2017

A class goes wild when one student's gorilla obsession tests the limits of creativity and cooperation.

Sale price

$1899

King Kong's Cousin

Ages 4–8 · 2022

Junior, King Kong's cousin, faces his fears to rescue his cat. Can he be a hero?

Sale price

$1699

I Don't Know What to Call My Cat

Ages 4–7 · 2017

A girl struggles to name a cat, but a gorilla's antics lead to unexpected heroics.

View all gorilla picture books

Browse by age

Gorilla Chapter Books & Middle Grade

For independent readers ages 6–12: rainforest field trips, captive-animal stories, conservation adventures, and one unusually capable gorilla detective.