Ding Dong! Gorilla!

by Michelle Robinson, Leonie Lord (Illustrations)

While his mother gets ready upstairs, a boy is waiting for delivery of a great big pizza with extra cheese. When the doorbell rings, it isn't the pizza guy - it's - a gorilla! Without even being invited in, the gorilla heads straight for mischief. He dumps out the boy's toy box, colors on the walls, kicks soccer balls in the house, and makes a giant mess in the kitchen. And that's not even the bad news! While all this mayhem is going on, the real pizza boy comes, and the gorilla doesn't leave any for the family!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Humor, Fiction, Food

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

When I'm not up to my knees in nappies, I write children's books. I also spend a fair amount of time eating chocolate. I try to write funny, read-aloud books that parents will enjoy as much as children - after all, if you have to share the same stories umpteen times, you may as well enjoy them.
I hope you like my books enough to read them umpteen times. Thank you - Michelle.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you explain a messy house, dirty clothes, and a torn-up backyard? The mystery gorilla, of course. Neo surely has one too, as he is never to blame for the messes that appear. However, the ending is not something that Neo has tried on me...yet!

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waiting for a pizza to be delivered...but a gorilla shows up instead! What will happen next! Well...I could tell you - but I will let you read about this special delivery!

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story about the elaborate lies which children tell their parents in order to avoid getting into trouble. In this case, the young boy in the story is telling his mother about the gorilla that came calling while he was waiting for a pizza delivery. The gorilla made a mess, caused havoc and sprinted away just before the boy's mother could come downstairs. And that's not even the worst of it!

This was a fun read that will resonate with young kids and parents alike but the story was nowhere near as good as some other picture books I've read lately. One example being the wonderful and hilarious Lion vs. Rabbit.

[Anastasia Kallah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ding Dong! Gorilla! confused me; it felt unfinished. In this story, a little boy describes events that took place when he let a gorilla into his family's home when expecting the pizza guy. The illustrations were fun, but the story had to follow. As the little boy describes how the gorilla made messes and broke things while playing in each different room in the house, the storyline's "conflict" gradually grew, but there was no climax to the story. Was the boy blaming the gorilla on his own doings? Was there REALLY a gorilla? Did his parents wrongfully blame him when there truly WAS a gorilla? At the end of the story, I thought there must have been something amiss with my download. Were there pages missing? Did I accidentally skip through pages that would have made the story more meaningful?

No. It was simply anti-climactic.

Bummer.

A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher for purposes of review.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

5* art
3* story

This is a dangerous book. When I started reading it to Squirt, I had no idea - halfway through, I thought, "I can't read him this! He's going to try this on me!" Because, of course, the kid in the story wrecks the house and blames it on a gorilla who came to visit. And I'm always scared of books that show a kid marking up the walls, anyway. So what can I say? I have one of those kids that would DO this stuff - he doesn't need any encouragement!

Nonetheless, a great book. Awesome illustrations. Lots of fun.

[April Thompson Freeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit, I sort of feel bad about rating children's books lower than three stars. But here's the stance on that.. If the book feels unfinished, incomplete or lacking some sort of excitement level (to me, whether it be the story or kick-arse illustrations), then I have no choice but to hit 'em with the lower ratings. Case and point, Ding Dong! Gorilla

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Ding Dong Gorilla
Author: Michelle Robinson & Leonie Lord
Publisher: Peachtree Pubishers
Published: 9-16-2013
ISBN: 13-978-1-561-45730-4
Pages: 32
Genre: Children's Literature
Tags: Fiction


As a little boy awaits the arrival of the Pizza Delivery Boy his mother takes a showers. While waiting a Gorilla arrives and lays waste to the house, the garden and the pizza, that finally arrives.


We have all heard some outrages excuses and explanations on how something happened. As you read this book to your little ones you will be recalling quite a few of them. A Cute little story for very small children with colorful and attention grabbing illustrations. The story is reminiscent of a mixture of Chicken Little and the Sky Is Falling and The Little Blue Vase from my childhood. Well received by my youngest nieces and nephews as a nap time read. They pointed out the different objects and laughed at the story line. Other than two separate edit mistakes which I am sure are corrected in the final round of edits this is an adorable story you little ones will love.

I received a copy of Ding Dong Gorilla in exchange for my honest review.












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[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved, loved, loved Ding Dong! Gorilla! by Michelle Robinson. It reminded me of The Gorilla Did It by Barbara Shook Hazen, it is one of my favorite, favorite picture books. Sadly, I think it is out of print. The book opens with a confession.

You know we ordered a pizza? A great big one with extra cheese? Well, I'm afraid I have some BAD news...

But before he gets to the BAD news, he has a LOT to explain. It all started when he heard the doorbell ring. It was not the pizza delivery boy. No. It was a gorilla. A gorilla who made himself feel quite at home. (Think CAT IN THE HAT.)
So what is the bad news?! Well, he takes his time....that's for sure.

Ding Dong! Gorilla! had me grinning. I just loved it. I thought it was a very funny book. And I adored the illustrations by Leonie Lord.

I definitely recommend this one.

[zxvasdf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a few days ago I was at the pediatrics' office, keeping the kiddos before the dreaded gauntlet of shots, and I read to my littlest one "If You Give a Moose a Muffin."

Now Ding Dong Gorilla runs in the same vein, except I don't think it has the payoff "Moose" did. I truly hate having an opinion about children's books because they promote reading by appealing to a wide variety of children; what one child might like, the other might not, but everyone reads.

Ultimately, I let my youngest decide:

dafsdsf;jlfjaoiejre m, nsf

As you can see in her review above, she enjoyed the book a lot, this book which also has left her daddy wishing he was more inventive in his excuses during his childhood. There probably would have been a lot less spanking.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when a gorilla is at your door instead of the pizza guy? Well, let him in of course! A gorilla is way more fun anyway. He'll play with your toys, play dress up, play soccer outside and when it gets to dark to play, he'll play inside! You won't believe what happens when the pizza guy finally does show up at the door. Ding Dong! Gorilla! would be a great read paired with Pete's a Pizza.

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom’s getting ready upstairs. What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things, if you open the door thinking it’s the pizza being delivered and it’s actually a gorilla. At least, that’s the narrator’s story and he’s sticking to it. I have never read a more entertaining explanation of why the house is such a mess. Lord’s illustrations have SO much character and the style she used here is perfect for a child narrator’s recounting such a bizarre series of events.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ding Dong! Gorilla!
Robinson, Michelle
a little boy blames the Gorilla for all his mess. But would you believe that the Gorilla just rang the door bell and made the mess while you were waiting for the pizza to be delivered. A very cute consequence book, teaching children simple rules taking care of their things, and keeping their room clean...

[Great Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if a gorilla came to your house? Unfortunately for this little boy, it is watch him create mess and mayhem. What will he do next? And what happened to the pizza they ordered? With colorful pictures and fun fonts this is a must read for anyone who ever gets in a little bit of mischief. Reviewer 12

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favourite of my four year old son's. He requests this book often, and it has a lot going for it. The little boy in the book explains that the gigantic mess in the house is not his fault, but the fault of a Gorilla who barged in unannounced while the family waited for their pizza to be delivered. It's a simple but charming tall tale, and the Gorilla is suitably entertaining.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child blames everything that is messed up in the house on a gorilla. Believe him or not, as he describes everything bad the thing that is the WORST to him is that there is no pizza left. funny pictures.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story with a built-in disclaimer from the little boy ("But that's not the BAD news"!), it's almost like a cross between Cat In The Hat and Bill Watterson's Calvin.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[TW Mystery Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

'A little boy has a lot of explaining to do when a gorilla comes over and makes a mess of the house...but that's not even the bad news!'

The best illustration is the gorilla dressed in the mother's clothes!

[Magila · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This one was cute with solid artwork. I for one was left wondering in the end, if parent or child needed to learn a lesson.

Not the best children's book I've ever read, but solidly entertaining. Try it from the library.

Recommended.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Mh Weyler]

a funny story about a Gorilla who destroys a boy's house and eats the pizza that was delivered. And then he leaves. All this occurs while the parents are elsewhere, leaving the boy to explain what happened. I think I love this, because I could see my kids coming up with such a ridiculous excuse for their messes and a missing pizza (albeit, the author does not imply that this was merely an excuse; really it happened! Really! Hah!).

[Tianna-Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very unpredictable book about a gorilla that was at the door instead of a pizza delivery boy. the gorilla destroyed the house and left before mum came down and saw. This book ends with the reader wondering what had really happened.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea and the illustrations, but the actual text felt clunky.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coworker mentioned that she has recently read this and recommended it. I can see why. It’s a modern classic. Loved it.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's cute. I thought there was going to be more to the end, showing the overall mess the boy (or gorilla) made. I knew the pizza part was coming, so I guess it wasn't as much humor for me. But preschool storytime kids might enjoy it. Lots to see in the pictures that would be best for lap-read or read-alone. Still, worth a try. Something different than what I usually do.

2/25/15 Pretty good. They enjoyed the story and liked seeing the places the gorilla put the DVDs. Small crowd and very into the book. My only "down" side was when I finished, I usually have them applaud for something or someone in the book. And I had no idea what to do with this. We all laughed when I said "I don't know who to clap for in this" and then clapped anyway. :-)

I love when things work out perfectly in an unplanned way. I forgot that there was pizza in this book, and just the day before storytime (while trying to plan my Literacy Moment) I remembered that we had our Felt Pizza "kit." I remembered because I suggested it for Miss E. for Toddler Time. And then I figured out a way I could use it! Added a few more pizza toppings and it was the perfect literacy activity to have after a book about pizza.

[Destiny Dawn Long · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are great and have a lot of character. They're kind of cute and altogether entertaining.

The story starts off amusing. A boy lets a gorilla into the house, thinking it's a pizza man. The gorilla then proceeds to destroy things and make a big mess.

The problem is that the ending is a non-ending and a lot of questions never get resolved. For example, the whole time I was reading, I was never sure if there was *really* a gorilla or if it was just the boy's excuse. I also never found out whether the boy actually gets punished for what happened. He thinks he's going to, but we never find out.

Without those answers, I was left feeling vaguely confused, and like there was no "point" to the story.

My daughter enjoys it well enough--she likes gorillas. But I'm not all that into it.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun picture book about the disaster that happened when a gorilla entered the house.

Imagine Thing 1 and Thing 2 (from The Cat in the Hat) with no clean-up at the end and the child left explaining the mess to their parents.

The question is, was the gorilla real? Or did the child do it?

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ring of a doorbell often signals a visitor or a salesperson. While the boy in this picture book awaits the arrival of the pizza delivery person, it turns out that a gorilla has been pressing the bell. He makes quite a mess, emptying the toy box, coloring outside the lines, even trying on the boy's mother's clothing before leaving. But the worst news of all is that all the pizza is gone. Either this is a very imaginative young man or he's going to be in big trouble now that dinner has disappeared. The digital illustrations show all the trouble that gorilla caused and the chagrin on the face of the narrator.

[Joella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a little boy who answers the door (thinking that it was the pizza delivery boy). But instead it was a gorilla. And the gorilla decided to have loads of fun all throughout the house. Which basically means that the gorilla made a HUGE mess. Then when the pizza finally arrives, the gorilla eats it all and leaves. Which leaves one boy with no pizza and one giant mess to explain to his mother. This is one funny story where readers will have to think through if it is one big whopper or if a gorilla really did come to the house and do all those things.

[Tam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. I don't like books that teach your child that it's okay to lie or blame others for things they do. In this case the boy said a gorilla dumped everything out of his toy box, put movies away in all the wrong places, got out lots of clothes and left them in a pile on the floor or put them in the washer, picked flowers from the garden, broke a vase and window while playing soccer in the house, made a mess trying to bake a chocolate cake, and ate all the pizza.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids loved this book.. Me, not so much. We've read it at least 5 times, though, so it must be a good one! The kids had a hard time understanding that maybe it *wasn't* really a gorilla that got into the house, but maybe the boy was making an excuse for his mess. It took a little inferring and discussing, which is fine!