We love four out of five of the stories in this book, with their charming pictures and constant refrains: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”), Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do (“There’s nothing do!” “Oh yes there is,” says Mama), Five Little Monkeys Bake a Birthday Cake (“Sh-h-h! Don’t wake up Mama!”), and Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car (“I KNOW!” says one little monkey. “I KNOW!”). I don’t like Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree as much as the rest, but the boys like it fine. As an added bonus, this treasury comes with drawing tips for making your own monkeys and lots of stickers.
If you want to give a really popular birthday present, pair this book with the Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Game. The game itself isn’t really that exciting. But it doesn’t need to be; it includes a big plastic “bed” with a spring mechanism inside and lots of monkeys to put on top. Push a button on the bed and every so often the spring releases and monkeys go flying.
Author: Eileen Christelow
Illustrator: Eileen Christelow