Little Beauty

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by Anthony Browne

Interest age: 2+
Reading age: 6+

Published by Walker Books, 2008

Picture books

About this book

When a very special gorilla learns to use sign language, he is able to ask his keepers for anything he needs but what he wants most of all is a friend.

A tiny kitten called Beauty becomes his constant companion and they do everything together.

One day though, the gorilla loses his temper and the keepers threaten to take Beauty away. The big hearted kitty has other ideas and uses great ingenuity to make sure she is not separated from her soul mate.

A stunning picture book which is both touching and surprising and shows Anthony Browne's characteristic balance between gentle humour and meaningful message, which in this case is the value of friendship and loyalty.

Browne's trademark illustrations are wonderfully evocative.

About the author

Anthony Browne is an internationally acclaimed author and illustrator of children's books with over forty titles to his name including Gorilla and Willy the Wimp. He was born in Yorkshire and studied graphic arts at Leeds Art College, working as a medical illustrator and an illustrator of greetings cards before his first book was published in 1976. He has gone on to win numerous awards including the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Anthony was the Children's Laureate 2009-2011 and used his time in the post to raise the profile of picture books and picture book illustration, as well as the value of supporting children's creativity and imagination.