The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle [Hardcover]

Kate Banks (Author), Tomek Bogacki (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

This is a story in words and pictures about a bird, a monkey, and a snake who have an adventure together. Along the way they meet a family of squirrels, a hungry alligator, an enormous spider, a fierce tiger, and a friendly frog--and they find a new home.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Delicate, dense color and a mannered geometric layout politely call for attention in this rebus picture book by Banks (And If the Moon Could Talk) and Bogacki (Cat and Mouse). Small squares, like softly drawn computer icons, neatly contain symbols for the characters and objects in their environment. Mingled with the printed text and the full-bleed illustrations, these visual labels introduce a red-winged bird, autumn-brown monkey and gray-striped snake who share the same tree as their jungle home. Every morning, the bird sings, the monkey wakes to eat nuts and the snake complains when falling shells rain on his back. As a group, the three set out to find separate, private homes, but discover that the jungle's choicest branches are already occupied by the likes of squirrels and bats. Bogacki conceives of the wild setting as a grid of rectangles and curves, with mottled greens and dappled blues suggesting gentle sunlight filtered through a rain-forest canopy. Banks provides plenty of nouns (sun, bananas, leaves, etc.) to be included in the rebus. There's no flipping pages back and forth to read a master key; instead, at the top right of each spread, a helpful mini-key presents the pages' discrete symbols and what they represent. The text is laid out inventivelyAvertically, diagonally, etc.Abut always clearly. This strategically structured volume, more puzzle than plot, makes an aesthetically pleasing introductory study in grammar, jungle life and cooperation. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-When a rainstorm destroys their home, a bird, a monkey, and a snake start off into the jungle in search of a new place to live. Tired of one another's annoying habits, each animal hopes to find a tree of its own. But the jungle is a dark and scary place, and after rescuing one another from spiders, crocodiles, and tigers, the three companions realize that they are better off sticking together. When they find a tree inhabited by a frog that is willing to share, they set up housekeeping, happily tolerating one another's idiosyncrasies. Told in rebus form, the story includes a key to the pictures on the outer margin of each right-hand page. Although children will undoubtedly enjoy playing the game, some aspects of the book may confuse them. A few of the illustrations don't look like what they are supposed to represent, e.g., the tree looks more like a leaf and the clouds look like rocks. In addition, the type is placed on the pages in a way that enhances the design but makes the order of the text difficult to follow. Still, the primitive-style illustrations, set on backgrounds of green and blue, have a Gauguin-like quality that captures the mystery and magic of the jungle. The story of friends who learn the value of sharing has been told many times but the rebus format puts a fresh spin on the tale.
Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (March 18, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374307296
• ISBN-13: 978-0374307295
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,848,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative, sweet story!, July 10, 2000

By 

Karen H Tseng (Cupertino, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle (Hardcover)

My daughter and I absolutely love reading this book before bedtime. Although my daughter is only 18 months old and usually doesn't have patience for long story books, she loves listening to the adventure of the bird, the monkey and the snake, and craves for more everytime I am done. The use of pictures in place of words fuels the imagination, and I also like the layout and the general flow of the book very much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, October 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle (Hardcover)

We borrowed this book from the public library, and my two-year old son absolutely loves it! The use of pictures instead of words provides a really stimulating experience. The illustrations, including the flow of words on the page are beautiful, the story is sweet and interesting. I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, March 24, 2011

By 

zookie is in toledo - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bird, the Monkey, and the Snake in the Jungle (Hardcover)

We stumbled across this book at the public library and had to buy it. This is one of the best pre-K books I have found and a favorite with my soon to be 3yr old.