Pongo. Jesse Hodgson

Pongo lived deep in the dark, dark depths of the rainforest. The trees grew so tightly together that hardly any sunshine ever reached down to the forest floor!
Pongo, the eponymous hero, finds his way from the rainforest’s ground to the canopy of its tree tops on his search for the bright orange sun. On his way through the dense, dark forest he encounters different aspects of jungle life, all diverting his attention from the real sun. From a curled up orange snake, to an orange honey-soaked bee hive, each distraction is a funny surprise! Yet, Pongo persists, but will he ever reach that big orange ball which he so longs for?

Jesse Hodgson is a talented, young illustrator and recent graduate from UWE. Her work for Pongo received the “Highly Commended” award in the 2012 Macmillan Children’s Book Awards. Hodgson’s illustrations are reminiscent of Henri Rousseau’s paintings, drawing you into the depths of an enchanting jungle through layers of intricate pencil work.

 Pongo is a masterful debut by talented illustrator and author Jesse Hodgson. Pongo traces his way from the rainforest floor to the treetops on his search for the bright orange sun. On the journey up the canopy he encounters different jungle creatures, all diverting his attention from the real thing—a curled up orange snake, an orange honey-soaked bee hive, even a baboon's bottom!—each distraction a fun surprise for any young reader. Hodgson's beautiful illustrations are reminiscent of Henri Rousseau's paintings, drawing you into the depths of an enchanting, limitless jungle that will capture every child's imagination.

The rainforest is not all it’s cracked up to be. It may be a beautiful and important eco system but one of the residents is not a happy ape. Pongo the orangutan is wet and lonely. He lives in the depths of the forest and yearns for the warmth of the sun. He’s heard it’s bright and orange, just like him, so he sets out to find it.
Pongo begins his adventure through the trees. As he swings up to the top of the canopy he mistakes some fellow orange rainforest residents for the sun. This has some embarrassing and perilous consequences involving bottoms and bees that made my boy and me giggle. Despite these set backs, he doesn’t give up until, with the help of a special friend, he sees the sun rise over the forest.
Orangutans are genetically one of our closest relatives. Look in to the eyes of this ape and it is impossible not to feel a connection. The story brings this out - we don’t just share genes, we share a love of warmth and light. The pictures bring this out too. Pongo peeks out shyly from behind foliage. Pongo uses a giant leaf as an umbrella as the rain lashes down. There is something touching and human about his behaviours and his aspirations.
And then the artwork… the artwork is so glorious I wanted to plunge my hand in to the page and rake through Pongo’s orange hair. The rainforest, and the animals, insects and birds that live there, are captured in the medium of soft pastel pencil. The pages of the story, the front cover, the back cover and the inner leaves are full colour spreads. The style is highly realistic. Each leaf and twig is accurately drawn. Each hair is clear. Gorgeous.
The depiction of the rainforest and Pongo’s behaviours and gestures is realistic. The illustrator’s observation of real orangutans brings life and movement to the drawings of the eponymous ape. In addition to the characters that Pongo mistakes for the sun, most pages contain an extra insect, animal or bird hiding in the leaves for the eagle eyed reader to spot. Whilst this is a work of fiction, there are sparks here to ignite a child’s interest in ecology and wildlife.
I don’t think it’s giving too much away to say that Pongo’s special friend is a lady. Don’t tell the kids, but it is a fact that male orangutans are solitary and only associate with females for one reason. If we are lucky, perhaps there will be a sequel?
If this book appeals then have a look at One Night, Far From Here by Julia Wauters.