Koko's Kitten 
Dr. Francine Patterson ~ photographs by Ronald H. Cohn
Scholastic, 1985
I'm out of pocket today, so I'll just post a few images from the book Koko's Kitten. Any child of the 70s and 80s knows the story of Koko, the orphaned gorilla child who was taught to speak sign language and communicate with humans.
All ethical questions aside, you have to admit Koko's communication skills have been hugely influential on the study of gorillas and the origins of humanity. No matter how you swing it, it's a profoundly life-altering concept to contemplate.
This is the sweet, but heartbreaking tale of Koko and her pet kitten, All Ball (Koko named it herself). The joy she feels upon receiving it as a gift and the grief when the animal is inadvertently run over by a car. If nothing else, this story illustrates how closely linked we as human beings are to these incredible creatures. 
The book is still in print, and this month, Koko celebrated her 40th birthday. Bless her heart.
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Read along on Facebook, tumblr, Twitter and Etsy!
7 comments:
I just love you. Koko is no longer with us in the world but she, and her kitten will forever be testimony to the connection we retain to our animal heritage. I will pass this along to friends via the URL, as I often do with your posts.
Oh dear.....and with relief, I realize after reading the small print that KOKO is indeed still with us. Happy Birthday to her.
Nice picture, thanks for sharing.
i always loved that story when i was in school. i was thinking about it just the other day. i need to find a copy of it.
I remember when that book was on Reading Rainbow :) Such a cute little book
Oh.. Koko, I want to meet you and hugh you :)
Nice article, thanks for the information. It's very complete information. I will bookmark for next reference.
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