One Gorilla: A Counting Book

For Anthony Browne, a gorilla is never just a gorilla. In this seemingly simple counting book from one to ten (plus a final coda), generous white space and classic type treatment balance expertly with large head-and-shoulders portraits of primates: "1 gorilla / 2 orangutans / 3 chimpanzees" up to "10 lemurs." Browne's watercolor technique is just about perfect, combining realism and exaggeration, mass and focus. He moves from large wet strokes showing hair and fur (around the edges) to a detailed drier brush (around the eyes). For some traditionally black and brown animals, he homes in on blue or orange highlights and makes them more prominent. For others, like the smaller spider and colubus monkeys, he varies the posture or silhouette. It's about taking something that is usually seen as all the same and emphasizing each one's individuality. Every face reveals emotion and a unique personality -- some easily read (open friendliness, shyness), others complex and inward-looking, à la Mona Lisa. Two final spreads underscore and personalize the visual subtext. Browne is seen in a self-portrait that mirrors the gorilla on the first spread, the text ("All primates. All one family. All my family...") leading to a final spread ("and yours!") filled to brimming with head-and-shoulder views of humans. Like everything that came before, at first we see pattern, then endless variety. lolly robinson