Manners are not for monkeys

Being a monkey sounds pretty great. Monkeys don't have to take turns, chew with their mouths closed, or use their inside voices. In fact, when three little monkeys begin imitating the children in the picnic area at the zoo keeping their cage tidy and the screeching to a minimum Mother Monkey is downright appalled. It's monkey see, monkey do gone terribly wrong, at least as far as she is concerned. Luckily, a gang of loud, filthy children visits the zoo one day, and the zookeeper is able to make a swap: she gives Mother Monkey the wild children she wants, and sends the well-mannered little monkeys home with grateful parents. Expressive, loose-limbed art done in pencil and digital color contrasts nicely with the text, which has the calm tone of a folktale or fable. The monkeys in particular are entertainingly drawn, as well as the diverse gang of kids who get their comeuppance. Though it might not hold up under close scrutiny, this is a fun, goofy manners lesson that's more playful than preachy.--Willey, Paula Copyright 2016 Booklist

PreS-Gr 2-When an old zookeeper moves the monkey cage beside the picnic area, the curious young monkeys begin to pick up some new habits from the children they see. Impressed, the monkeys use good manners. Mother Monkey is quickly frustrated by her children's displays of etiquette-chewing with their mouths closed, taking turns, and tidying up their messes. She insists that they "try to behave like monkeys!" However, they have become so used to acting appropriately that they can't recall what monkeys should do. When a particularly wild bunch of children visit the zoo and try to remind the well-behaved monkeys how to swing, screech, and scatter garbage, the old zookeeper realizes that she has made a mistake. She moves the unruly children into the cage and releases the polite little monkeys. The comical illustrations are infused with humor and action. Silly expressions and quirky details make this a natural choice for sharing aloud. VERDICT Pair this title with Mo Willems's Time To Say Please for a fun-filled etiquette-themed storytime!-Whitney LeBlanc, KIPP New Orleans Schools c Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.