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Magic Tree House #26

Good Morning, Gorillas

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The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie off to the mountains of Africa. There they run into a huge mountain gorilla! At first they don't know whether they should shake hands or turn tail. But the ominous-looking creature turns out to be surprisingly gentle. Not only that, the gorilla may be able to help them learn their next bit of magic, which Morgan has challenged them to do. From the Trade Paperback edition.

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2002

553 people are currently reading
2995 people want to read

About the author

Mary Pope Osborne

582 books2,699 followers
Mary Pope Osborne is an American author of children's books and audiobook narrator. She is best known as the author of the Magic Tree House series, which as of 2017 sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. Both the series and Osborne have won awards, including for Osborne's charitable efforts at promoting children's literacy. One of four children, Osborne moved around in her childhood before attending the University of North Carolina. Following college, Osborne traveled before moving to New York City. She somewhat spontaneously began to write, and her first book was published in 1982. She went on to write a variety of other children's and young adult books before starting the Magic Tree House series in 1992. Osborne's sister Natalie Pope Boyce has written several compendium books to the Magic Tree House series, sometimes with Osborne's husband Will Osborne.

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5 stars
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3 stars
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1 star
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews
Profile Image for Jasmine from How Useful It Is.
1,721 reviews383 followers
March 9, 2026
Listened to this audiobook with my first grader. I crochet and she did sticker by number.

This story followed siblings Jack and Annie. They are on a second journey to find the special magic, the special magic where you talk with your hands and heart. They are going to African rainforest. In this place they learned about cloud forest and gorillas. They learned what gorilla eat and how they defend themselves towards predators. Good humor because there were baby gorillas named Boo Boo and Ho Ho.

We listened to this audiobook via Cloud Library.
Profile Image for Christopher Salcedo.
13 reviews3 followers
June 28, 2012
I like this book because in the book it states, Jack and Annie soon discovered that the tree house was magic. It could take them to the places in the books. All they had to do was point to a picture and wish to go there.(pg.1) I also like this book because it makes you think if gorillas are as bad as they look? Or are they gentle giants? I also like this book because in the back of the book it states, Gentle giants or giant monsters? That's the question Jack and Annie have about gorillas when the Magic Tree House sweeps them to the mountains of Africa.(pg.71) I last reason I like this book is because this book made me think that gorillas are not that bad animals, I say that because in page 35 it states, WRAAGH! he roared. WRAAGH! The gorilla dropped on all fours. He charged back and fourth past Jack. Then he threw himself on his bell. He began bashing the ground with his palms. The silverback was sitting on the ground. His lips were curved in a smile. Was his whole act a fake? Jack wondered.(pg.35)

My cousin (Darwin) would like this book. I say that because he likes books about gorillas and he also likes THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE books. I know that because when it was his 9th Birthday he told me that he wanted to see Gorillas in THE BRONX ZOO for his birthday. I know he likes THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE books because when he took out his homework from his bookbag their were a bunch of THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE books.

One challenging aspect of the book is the setting, because it changes from being to the house to the magic tree house, to the forest in Africa, to a gorilla family. Another challenging aspect of the book is the way the story was told, because the story does not state who is telling the story and why?

A character in this book that I can describe is Morgan le Fay. Morgan le Fay is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician. She became much more prominent in the later cyclical prose works such as the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, in which she becomes an antagonist to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. She is said to be the daughter of Arthur's mother.(pg, 50).
Profile Image for Jhernandez.
2 reviews
January 23, 2010
this is a really cool book.You should try on it, it is really intresting.It is about jack and anny going to the jungle,and they meet gorilla!After a while of being with them they recognize that the gorrilas where good.they become friends, and they discover that the point to be their was to use body language. So they use signs. But then they notice that since they found the point, and done it,they had to go.Jack was really sad.But he learn alot of things,and one,was to be a gorilla. :)






this is the book i needed to read in school,the other one i read it because I like intresting books.
Profile Image for Book2Dragon.
464 reviews178 followers
July 27, 2025
Can we say Dian Fossey? Another great adventure with the Magic Tree House. Fun, entertaining, educational. Don't let that word scare you--it's just getting acquainted with today's world and worlds of the past. Learn about animals, families, adventure, and people. Oh, and Fun.
Profile Image for Danielle.
530 reviews
April 1, 2023
I think I'm just a rainforest girly we are 2/2 now
10 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2023
Sumamente increible. Tengo pesadillas tras leerme este libro ya que no soy un gorilla. El no ser un gorilla me causa una grave ansiedad ya que yo me siento como uno. Como una persona trans diria, estoy atrapado en un cuerpo con el que no me identifico.
Profile Image for Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs.
2,002 reviews37 followers
February 25, 2016
I started reading this book to a first grade class I subbed for and I had to finish it to see how it ended. This book brought back so many memories of reading my first chapter books when I was young. It made me wish I was little again to experience the magic of reading like young kids do and the places it could take you for the very first time. The Magic Treehouse books seem the perfect books to introduce new readers to the world of reading and the magic it has to offer.
Profile Image for Mystic DreamClouds.
531 reviews13 followers
April 11, 2022
Jack and Annie are off on their second adventure to find a special kind of magic. This time there are whisked back into the mountains of Africa where they encounter a baby gorilla. As they spend time with the baby gorilla and it’s family they learn quite a few new ways of communication and the importance of togetherness.

I enjoyed this installment. Through Jack we see the struggles one faces when communicating with someone who doesn’t speak the other’s language. It was creative how it was used as a key driver to keep the story going. Also, I liked how in the end once Jack understood how to communicate he wasn’t feeling lonely and was having fun with the gorillas.

As usual, Annie is great with animals. Her sense of communication and understanding is beyond comparison yet unusual. I do wonder if we’ll ever get to know the secret of how Annie came about such a great and powerful communication skill.

The plot of this installment is quite calm compared to other installments. Much like the previous book there is no immediate danger to the siblings or the time they are visiting. Instead it’s a much calmer journey of experiencing their surroundings and learning new things.

Similar to the last book and this book, the magic learned is something Annie is already well acquainted and experienced with. Jack on the other hand, is learning it for the first time. I would have enjoyed this book more if it was a type of magic both siblings were learning for the first time because then the excitement experienced by both would have been much greater and magical.

Overall, this was a fun story to read. It’s a quick read with a great message of trying to learn new languages and the different types to communicate and enjoy more!

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf
Profile Image for Lucía Azpiros.
36 reviews
October 25, 2024
Estuvo bien. Medio rara la moraleja igual, porque el objetivo de los niños era encontrar "un nuevo tipo de magia" y terminó siendo "la magia de los gorilas que nos permitió comunicarnos en lenguaje de señas". Ns cual era el punto. Si querían hablar del lenguaje de señas capaz que no debería ser con gorilas igual 💀.
Profile Image for Kat Ice.
755 reviews11 followers
April 21, 2018
Not a great next book, can't wait to get the next to see if that one will be better.
Profile Image for Kathy.
3,349 reviews61 followers
October 19, 2021
Good story and lots of interesting facts about gorillas.
Profile Image for Leigh Ann.
527 reviews8 followers
January 2, 2024
Jack and Annie adventure in the rainforest with gorillas and realize that the gorillas have their own family and pattern of life as well.
3 reviews
February 28, 2025
I think it’s so cute and adorable and funny. I love how Annie is so sweet to the gorillas and gives them all the cuddles names.
Profile Image for Kathryn Best.
346 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2025
Great story! It kept my 4yo’s interest and had lots of fun information.
Profile Image for Alex.
708 reviews
June 21, 2018
I enjoyed this book because I like gorillas. I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Jack scared a black leopard.
1,039 reviews14 followers
August 13, 2022
Interesting and educational reads for children. As an adult I find them quick fun stories.
Profile Image for Micah.
62 reviews
January 23, 2023
First read:
It was awesome. I want to read it again. I got to go to a book club at my library about it. This was the first reading of a Magic Tree House book that I did by myself.

--
1/23/23
I remember all of it now!
Profile Image for DivaDiane SM.
1,204 reviews122 followers
January 15, 2017
This one was very sweet and poignant. Jack broke out of his mold in this one and it was great to see him realize he can do more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 291 reviews

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