Little Beauty by Anthony Browne Ages 4-8 32 pages Walker Books April 2009 Paperback     There is only one gorilla in the zoo, and he knows sign language! This lucky primate is not kept in a cage or pen but lives a very comfortable human-like existence. He has everything he need, except he is lonely. When he signs to his keepers one day that he would like a friend, they give the gentle giant a kitten named Beauty. “Don’t eat her,” they say. Beauty and the gorilla become best friends and do everything together - until one night, after a rather upsetting rerun of King Kong, the TV gets broken in a tantrum. The keepers rush in, prepared to take Beauty away, until she uses some sign language of her own and shows what it really means to have a friend. Little Beauty is a silly, heartwarming tale with a twist at the end that will leave you grinning from ear to ear. Renowned author/illustrator, Anthony Browne once again uses a gorilla in his work - a little bizarre considering he was once badly bitten by one. In 2000, Browne was the first British illustrator to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his work in children’s literature. One look at this new book will have you realizing why. Like the others, this one’s a beauty!     web reviews   Niki Masse Schoenfeldt/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)