Dimensions: 240 x 268 mm | Extent: 32pp | Format: Hardback, cloth spine| Fiction | Ages: 3 – 5

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.