Ten Naughty Little Monkeys

Ten Naughty Little Monkeys

From School Library JournalPreSchool-K-Williams uses the old bouncing rhyme "10 Little Monkeys" as a jumping-off point for this book. A large family of small monkeys has a barrel of fun, skating in the street, rolling down a hill, climbing up a tree, fishing off the dock-but one family member always gets injured, at which point Mama consults the beleaguered doctor, who sports a banana-patterned tie. His answer is always emphatically the same: "No more monkeys...." But is the series of accidents merely careless coincidence? Hardly. One monkey is more mischievous than most, and the clever methods she employs to undermine her siblings are almost as entertaining as her comeuppance at the book's conclusion. The rhyme is as enjoyable as ever, while the added activities and suspense will make this a hit with children. Watts's illustrations are hilarious: monkeys in funny hairdos, full of kinetic energy and wreathed in vibrant, alternating colors. The facial expressions on all of the characters are priceless: playful, chagrined, overwhelmed, and downright naughty. This version of the classic fingerplay could easily become the new standard.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYCopyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed . . . and tripping over teddy bears, slipping on banana peels, and falling off the dock!Those naughty monkeys sure love to monkey around! But just WHO is causing all this monkey business? Try finding the naughtiest monkey in every scene-and watch as she gets her comeuppance at the end! A classic monkey rhyme with delicious illustrations, this is sure to be a favorite on every little monkey's bookshelf.From BooklistChildren familiar with the rhyme "Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" should love this countdown to calamity. The monkeys move from 10 jumping on the bed to 9 racing out the door, 8 skating in the street, and on through spills and injuries until the last monkey is caught in a trap. The monkeys and their antics are juxtaposed with their distraught mother's frequent calls to the doctor. Watts' flat, bright paintings highlight the action as well as the megasilliness of the monkeys, who sometimes make faces at the reader, and the progression of the doctor's reactions, which escalate from calm to frenzied. The way Watts portrays the monkeys--not just with silly faces but with rubber-band limbs and pratfalls--adds enormously to the fun. Connie FletcherCopyright ? American Library Association. All rights reservedReview?he added activities and suspense will make this a hit with children...could easily become the new standard.