Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. A gleeful rendition of a happy, familiar rhyme doubles as a simple counting book that teaches numbers one through five. Five little monkeys, on a picnic with their mom, dart up a nearby tree as soon as she's asleep. From the safety of their branch, they taunt Mr. Crocodile, who responds by snap, snap, snapping--once, twice . . . five times--until, to the shock of onlookers on the opposite shore (including Mom), all the monkeys disappear. Have they been eaten? Of course not: five skinny tails, then five impish faces, peering out from leafy branches, bring sighs of relief--then hugs and a scolding, as well. The text is minimal. Brightly colored, cartoon-style artwork, done in mixed media, spreads across wide pages, capturing the exuberant antics of the mischievous critters, whose colorful garb makes them easy to spot as they hide in the foliage of the big old tree. A nice bit of fun. ~--Stephanie Zvirin
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-- The irrepressible crew from Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Clarion, 1989) returns in this version of a traditional hand rhyme. The familiar chant tells of five foolish monkeys who are eaten when they tease a hungry crocodile. Christelow chooses a more lighthearted approach, illustrating it in sunny-colored pastels outlined in ink. She places the rhyme in a picnic setting; while the mother dozes, the little monkeys scamper out on a limb and fearlessly call to a crocodile, ``You can't catch me!'' But the crocodile's jaws snap, and one by one the monkeys disappear. Bright patches of clothing and pairs of little eyes among the leaves will signal perceptive listeners that all is well. Children will enjoy being in on the secret that even the mother monkey, awakened by all the noise, doesn't know. In the upbeat ending, all the children pop out of their hiding places, safe and sound. Some readers may question why the mother snoozes, leaving her brood to look after themselves, or why she doesn't come to their aid when she thinks they are in danger. The intended audience, however, will overlook these lapses of logic as they delight in the mischief-making--a humorous exaggeration of their own antics. --Carey Ayres, Port Washington Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While their mother snoozes, five little monkeys tease a crocodile. The busy illustrations in pale colors won't grab the board book crowd, especially in this smaller-sized edition. From HORN BOOK Spring 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
