Zachariah OHora, whose first charming picture book featured a noisy sleeper, Stop Snoring, Bernard, here zeroes in on a child grappling with her gorilla buddy's tendency for temper tantrums.
Nilson, a blue gorilla, and Amelia, sporting a cherry-red jumper, do everything together. However, Nilson struggles to stay calm in the face of life's ups and downs. When Amelia accidentally hits Nilson's block building with her scooter, "Nilson throws the biggest, most house shaking-est fit ever!!" As blocks fly, his shape contorts to cover the entire two-page illustration. Both of them get a time-out at opposite ends of the room; Amelia quietly weeps. Amelia then tries to be proactive. When she sees her blue pal start to get upset, she says, "No fits, Nilson!" When his patience wears thin at the crowded post office, she whispers, "No fits, Nilson," and passes him her froggy coin purse as a diversionary tactic. Amelia's mom steps in to avert trouble on the train ("No fits, Nilson!"), with a promise of banana ice cream. When the tables turn and Amelia needs a tantrum intervention, Nilson returns the favor.
OHora wisely leaves Nilson's identity ambiguous--he could be a stuffed animal or an imaginary friend, allowing plenty of room for youngest children to find reassurance in the dynamic portrayed here. He also depicts Amelia's mom as an active participant in Amelia's friendship with Nilson, and a supporter of Amelia's efforts to aid Nilson in tamping down his anger before it's full blown. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness