Cha-Cha Chimps [Hardcover]

Julia Durango (Author), Eleanor Taylor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006 | Age Level: 2 and up

Counting and dancing gohand in hand at Mambo Jamba's,

the place where hippos hokey-pokey and meerkats macarena

and ten little chimps do the

Cha -- Cha -- Cha

until Mama Chimps says,

"Time for bed!"

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–In this rollicking counting book, 10 little chimps sneak out of their tree house to go dancing at Mambo Jambas, where a pig band plays music all night long. One by one, each monkey jives with a different jungle animal, and a rhythmic verse describes that particular creatures style (Rhino hustles in/just to prove hes got the groove./Shake it, Rhino! Shake it, boy!/Lets see that body move). Meanwhile, the remaining siblings boogie to the repeated refrain (ee-ee-/oo-oo-/ah-ah-ah!/9 little chimps do the/cha-cha-cha). The rhymes roll easily off the tongue, making the text fun to read aloud. However, there is no indication–either verbal or visual–of where each chimp goes as the book counts down from 10 to 1, but they all reappear at the end when Mama Chimp arrives to take them home. Once they are tucked in bed, she calls a babysitter so that she can put on her own dancing shoes. Done in watercolor and pencil, the illustrations are bright and lively, and each chimp is clothed in a unique and colorful outfit. The jungle animals are also fabulously costumed. All in all, the cha-cha-cha chant and upbeat artwork make this book a good storytime addition.–Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. "Deep in the forest in the dim moonlight, / ten little chimps sneak out for the night. / Wearing shiny shoes and their boogie-woogie pants, / they go to Mambo Jamba's where they dance, dance, dance." With wild abandon, the 10 chimps cha-cha-cha to the music of the three-pigs band while other forest animals join in a lively chimp countdown from 10 to 1. Hippo "starts to hokey-poke"; "Giraffe does the tango"; and the meerkat "macarenas to a funky Latin beat." Then Mama Chimp sends her babes home for the night, making way for a clever surprise ending that keeps them toe-tappin' happy. Taylor's cartoonlike watercolor-and-pencil illustrations display the same sprightly spirit, bright colors, and energy as the pictures in Eileen Christelow's Five Little Monkeys books. Don't expect kids to sit still for this; they'll be groovin' to the catchy rhyme and movin' to their own cheerful beat. Julie Cummins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689864566
• ISBN-13: 978-0689864568
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julia Durango is the author of picture books, adventure novels, and poetry for kids of all ages. Along with fellow children's book authors Andrea Beaty and Carolyn Crimi, Julia is also a founding member of www.ThreeSillyChicks.com, a book review blog featuring funny books for kids.

Julia lives with her family in Ottawa, Illinois, where she works as an elementary school librarian. You can read more about her at www.JuliaDurango.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, April 9, 2006

By 

AdeeC (Wherever the AF sends me) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cha-Cha Chimps (Hardcover)

We adore this book! My almost [...] wants to read it everyday. We never read it just once. She loves the illustrations and the rhymes. I can't say enough about how great this book is. Even our 4 month old responds to it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful romp!, September 13, 2006

By 

Andrea Beaty - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cha-Cha Chimps (Hardcover)

CHA CHA CHIMPS is monkey business at its best! The cha cha rhythm and rolicking rhyme make Julia Durango's text dance off the pages. Eleanor Taylor's light and lively illustrations are the perfect compliment! A joy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Product review, October 2, 2011

By 

zmusicgal - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cha-Cha Chimps (Paperback)

The only thing that was the drawback on this purchase was the length of time that it took to arrive. It seemed to be slower than some other things that I have purchased. Otherwise, it was fine.