Little Larry goes to school The true story of a timid chimpanzee who learned to reach new heights

An injured newborn chimpanzee, Little Larry was taken to an African wildlife sanctuary where a caregiver looked after him, fed him, cuddled him, and taught him chimp grooming and communication skills. Gradually introduced to other orphan chimps, he joined them at the forest school. He enjoyed their company, but rather than climbing trees with them, Little Larry would stay on the ground, apparently afraid. Daphne, a chimp he knew well, repeatedly teased him by snatching his fruit and carrying it up into the canopy. He began to climb after her. Month by month, he gradually built his confidence until he reached the treetops. The straightforward text works well with Ellis' clear, vivid photos. Many children listening to the story will feel kinship with the timid chimp and satisfaction when he overcomes his fears. The appended Speak like Little Larry page introduces a few basic chimp sounds and behaviors. Ellis, who also illustrated and coauthored Natumi Takes the Lead (2016), which profiled an orphaned baby elephant, offers another appealing picture book spotlighting a young African animal.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist

K-Gr 2-In the forest school of an African sanctuary for chimpanzees lives Little Larry, a young orphan. Just like human children, Little Larry has to pick up many skills to develop into a healthy and well-adapted adult. At school, Little Larry is learning to socialize and bond with his peers, to groom himself, to stay safe, to find food, and, most important, to climb trees. Though climbing trees seems so natural to apes, it's a challenge for Little Larry. Readers will be touched by poignant close-up images that capture Little Larry's personality, environment, and relationship with the other chimpanzees. The narrative, which chronicles Little Larry's life from his birth to his graduation from forest school, is rendered in a comfortably large white font that moves around full-page tertiary color backgrounds. This dynamic design combines multicolor pages with expressive photography that will inform readers about chimpanzees living in sanctuaries and the role of human caregivers. The book contains a map indicating the location of the sanctuary and facts about chimps' facial expressions and sounds. VERDICT Though there are numerous titles on chimps for this age group, this heartwarming, child-friendly true story distinguishes itself from the rest.-Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.