Customer Reviews

Chimp and Zee

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I give it four stars because my daughter loves it and that's what really counts.

But I do wish Laurence Anholt would not continue the same primatalogical sloppiness initially started by Curious George. Chimps are apes, not monkeys. At least Curious George, despite being labelled as a monkey, was drawn correctly, sans tail. But Chimp and Zee are drawn with tails. How hard is it to go to the zoo and observe, or crack a basic Anthropology textbook. Here's the scoop: Chimps, gorillas, and orangs are the Great Apes. They are our closest relatives, and they do not have tails.

Thank you for letting me vent. One other point that troubles me, I'm not sure I understand why so many kids books and kids movies have to zero-in so frighteningly on abandonement fears. Chimp and Zee get separated from their parents Mumkey and Papakey (who, again, are not monkeys but apes) and we are treated to the scene of the parents embracing each other and grieving the loss of their two children. I don't know, maybe I'm a whimp, just seems a little harsh for such a cutesy story.

But the pictures are cute, and I love the maps of jungletown. The scenes in the marketplace of downtown jungletown are full of rich detail. It keeps my daughter and I busy for a while, going through and describing everything we see and making up our own stories. So thumbs up from my daughter, marginal thumbs up from her Dad.

As a teacher and mother of three, I am always on the look out for good picture books. I love almost everything that the Anholts have done, but Chimp and Zee is SENSATIONAL, (and no I'm not a relative or a publisher!). My class absolutely squeal with delight when I get out this huge brightly coloured story book... then as soon as I get home, my own kids, aged 3,5 and 8 are begging for Chimp and Zee too. I do hope there will be more adventures about these adorable twin monkeys. Without exaggeration, this is the best children's picture book I have ever seen.

We bought Chimp and Zee whilst on vacation in England and our three kids went MAD for it! We have since bought at least ten copies for all the kids we know. It's a HUGE, brightly colored story about two wonderful twin monkeys...you just have to see it to get the idea.

We had an torn, much used copy of book. What a gift for our special children! Will probably get the complete series.