Joseph is angry. With Mum dead and Dad off fighting the war, his grandmother has sent him to the city to live with gruff Mrs F, as bombs drop from the skies in nightly air raids. Mrs F has no time for children, she’s too busy caring for silverback gorilla, Adonis, at her rundown zoo. In time, a bond forms between Joseph and the gorilla, but if a bomb were to strike and set Adonis rampaging, would either of them be able to do the unthinkable? 

This story is gritty, and lets kids follow a character who is trapped in his own anger as he opens up to friendship and trust. The characters are well-rounded with emotional depth and the book doesn’t shy away from grief, sadness and rage, but shows a boy who has been hurt and betrayed in all the rawness of his pain. It’s a book that doesn’t talk down to kids and trusts them to experience Joseph’s story without sugar coating it. Inspired by a true story, this book will really get kids thinking and is an excellent exploration of managing unbridled emotions.