Good Night Gorilla

What Good Night Gorilla is about

Peggy Rathmann's picture book follows a zookeeper named Joe through his last rounds of the evening, saying good night to the animals before he heads home. Almost none of it is told in words. The pictures carry the whole story, and they reward a child who looks closely, because a clever gorilla has lifted Joe's keys and is quietly letting every animal out. A small house mouse with a banana tags along too.

An elephant, a giraffe, a hyena, an armadillo and a lion all trail behind the oblivious zookeeper, right into his house and his bed. Joe never notices, though readers will, and that gap between what the adults see and what the animals are up to is where the fun lives. It is a bedtime book for young listeners who like to be in on the joke, first published in 1994 and since sold more than three million copies.

Questions about Good Night Gorilla

When was Good Night Gorilla published?

Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann was first published in 1994.

Was Good Night Gorilla one of the best books of 1994?

Good Night Gorilla is #13 on BookWard's Best Books of 1994, out of 42 1994 books that cleared our data bar. 283 readers have shelved it on Open Library.

Why is Good Night Gorilla on the Best Books of 1994 list?

283 readers have shelved it on Open Library.

More of the best books of 1994

• Guess How Much I Love You Sam McBratney, #1
• Artificial Intelligence Stuart J. Russell, #2
• The Six Pillars of Self-esteem Nathaniel Branden, #3
• Long Walk to Freedom Nelson Mandela, #4
• Mercury and Me Jim Hutton, #5
• Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus John Gray, #6

See the full Best Books of 1994, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.