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Created page with "{{infobox |title=Gorilla Loves Vanilla |author=Chae Strathie and Nicola O'Byrne |reviewer= Zoe Page |genre=For Sharing |summary= A delicious story of being true to yourself, k..."
{{infobox
|title=Gorilla Loves Vanilla
|author=Chae Strathie and Nicola O'Byrne
|reviewer= Zoe Page
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= A delicious story of being true to yourself, knowing what you like…and being willing to share with new friends. Yummy!
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=32
|publisher= Scholastic Press
|date=April 2016
|isbn= 978-1407148106
|website= http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/profile-author/33198
|video=
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407148109</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1407148109</amazonus>
}}

I am something of an ice cream aficionada. I know where to get the best ice cream everywhere from Mexico City to Dubai. I have done late night ice cream runs in Sydney when a craving hits, found gelato sculpted into flower shapes in Paris, discovered a parlour in Vienna that has a wallet sized calendar of flavours because they change every day, and just last week I happened across a nice café in Rotterdam displaying shelves of medals and trophies they have won for their delectable concoctions. From Nutella flavour to rice flavour I have tried them all but here's the secret – I blooming love Vanilla. Now once at the Ben and Jerry's stand at a cinema in Manchester someone gave me a hard time for this. ''Only old ladies order that,'' decreed the server. Well scratch that, because, as you might have guessed, Gorillas love vanilla too.

One day, I imagine it's probably a sunny Saturday, all the animals are heading to Sam's Sundaes for special treats. A bit like the wonder that is ''Marble Slab'' (google it), Sam can create any flavour you desire. Blue cheese flavour for Mouse? Easy. Worm flavour for Chicken? Ick…but not problem. Mud flavour for Hippo, fish finger flavour for Cat, time and again Sam gets it right. But then Gorilla arrives and all the animals strain to hear what this big beast will request…

This book is brilliant fun and gets better with every reading. Told in rhyme, the story bounces along the pages at a fast, tuneful pace and has them joining in by the time the punchline arrives. The presentation is superb too, from the glittering cover to the friendly creatures and of course the tasty treats Sam serves up. It's a world where animals and humans live side by side without much hassle, and where anyone can order an ice cream as long as they remember their manners and a few coins. And of course that leads to some interesting questions: what would ''you'' do if a gorilla joined you as you went to the ice cream van or one of the many ice cream farms that so helpfully dot my corner of Cheshire?

This story is just generally good fun. It's happy, it's entertaining, it's positive, it doesn't take itself too seriously and it's very, very yummy. Set to become a firm favourite, I'd like to thank the publishers for sending us a copy to review.

For more fun, the same author offers us the fabulous [[Jumblebum by Chae Strathie and Ben Cort]].

{{amazontext|amazon=1407148109}}
{{amazonUStext|amazon=1407148109}}

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[[Category:Chae Strathie]]
[[Category:Nicola O'Byrne]]