Monkey bedtime

PreS-Gr 2--It's almost bedtime, but one young boy can't fall asleep due to a tapping on his window. Who should appear through the glass but an adorably tiny pygmy marmoset! Thinking the monkey will be harmless, the child welcomes him inside. It isn't long before more and more monkeys arrive, including red-handed howlers, lion tamarins, macaques, and capuchins, to name a few, and start wreaking havoc around the house. As his mother's footsteps and the likelihood of questions get closer, the child grows increasingly upset at the state of the house and behavior of the monkeys. Realizing the error of their ways, the monkeys quickly tidy up before returning home for the evening in a way reminiscent of the resolution of The Cat in the Hat, before revealing the comical concluding spreads. English's text is a winning blend of dialogue and description for one-on-one or small group sharing, complemented by Gregory's detailed and playful illustrations. Fans of Eileen Christelow's "Five Little Monkeys" series and Anna Dewdney's Llama Llama Red Pajama are sure to enjoy this rhyming bedtime romp. VERDICT With an energetic text and humorous illustrations, this is sure be an oft-requested bedtime read-aloud.--Olivia Gorecke

What's the harm in letting one tiny monkey into the house? A young tot getting ready for bed sees a pygmy marmoset outside in the rain. He lets the creature inside, and they have fun jumping on the bed and playing with toys. But then, the little critter scampers downstairs and lets more primates in. Soon there are howlers, capuchins, baboons, and more, all over the house. The boy's mother is upstairs tending to the baby and isn't sure what's going on. But the youngster has it covered, with a string of confident replies: " 'I'm coming, Mom,' I shouted back. / 'Just tidying my toys!' " Mayhem that rivals that of a certain cat (in a certain hat) ensues. The text bounces along in rhyming couplets, matching the rhythm of the monkeys' swings. Gregory's cartoonish art is full of motion and mischief, with jelly handprints on the walls and scuttling little rascals flipping and climbing everywhere. The frenetic pace crashes to a halt when the monkeys realize how upset the little boy is getting. Contrite, they quickly clean everything up and march in a line out the front door. The little boy is light-skinned, while his mom is slightly darker-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Gives a whole new meaning to "monkeying around" before bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.