Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann is a cautionary tale for unobservant zookeepers. In it, a very tired zookeeper is doing his nightly rounds, saying “good night” to all of the animals, beginning with Gorilla, who deftly snatches the keys from his belt and begins setting his fellow animals free. The zookeeper heads home to go to bed, unwittingly followed by the entire menagerie. This is unacceptable to the zookeeper’s wife, who sends all the animals back to their pens. “Good night zoo,” she says, but that crafty Gorilla has a surprise for her. This charming story, told mostly through illustrations, is a true treat.
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