I bought this book because it was recommended to me based on the illustrations. (Did you know I have a Graduate Certificate in Children’s Literature from Penn State? :)) I immediately fell in love with the spunky girl and her cooperative stuffed monkey. They remind me of Calvin and Hobbes in the scenes when Hobbes was inanimate. Who doesn’t love that pair?!
The story line of this book is based around a visit to the zoo. Every other page repeats the same phrase
Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
We went to see,
We went to see some…
Then with a page turn, the next animal is revealed. The book doesn’t get old, though, because each page features wildly different illustrations. “Monkey and me” are imitating the animals they went to see. The children I’ve read this with love to guess what animal comes next based on the behavioral clues given by the girl and her monkey. With each page turn there is something cute and funny to see or to guess. The story wraps up with both the girl and her monkey falling asleep at the table after such a long day of adventures (and perhaps an escaped monkey?!).
With the repetitive nature of the text and the simple but engaging illustrations, this book is perfect for reading aloud to toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners. First graders would probably even enjoy it at the beginning of the year!
p.s. It even comes in a Bilingual Spanish version AND an Arabic version!
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