Customer Reviews

The Escape of Marvin the Ape

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My 2 year old daughter loves this book. If we read it once, we read it five times in response to her demand of "Again!" and "Again!" She loves spotting Marvin in some places that are familiar to her, like the subway and the park. But she really loves when Helvetica Hippo dashes out! No matter how many times we read this book, the anticipation of the last page makes her wiggle and giggle until the end.

What a cute tale. An ape that escapes from the zoo takes a little journey through New York City. The illustrations are great. My 10mo. old son seems to enjoy looking at the pictures. I am sure when he gets older this will be a nice beginner book for him to learn to read.

The short text and the lively illustrations have made this my one year olds favorite. We found it in a used book store and it was the best purchase we've made! He brings it to me at least 5 times a day and we love to play "where's Marvin?" Finding surprises in each picture keeps him entranced....which is hard for a 1 year old! I hope I can find more books like this one.

The illustrations are everything I have come to expect from Mark Buehner; however, the pictures are so entertaining that the story becomes secondary to them. It is an enjoyable book, and I will be reading it to my boys for many years to come.

My preschoolers love this book, not just because of the vivid illustrations that go with an easy-to-follow text - they love locating the hidden ostrich, police officers, and black cat tucked into nearly every single page. Check out the clouds...they look like fish, dinosaurs! Can you find Santa Claus hidden in Yankee Stadium's crowd of thousands?

I confess - my husband and I love finding the hidden pictures, too. Its also our favorite birthday gift for my kids friends. Get the book and scan the illustrations closely! Fun!

Marvin's adventures in the city are amusing in themselves. But take a close look at the pictures for the hidden characters that appear on each page. There's also a cute homage to the movie "The Natural".

The book itself is great, but the greatest part is that there is a black cat, and an osterich that are hidden in each illistration. its like having two books in one.

My three-year-old son enjoys this book so much because it lends itself to active participation. It is fun for him to spot Marvin, the escaped ape, in various settings ranging from a subway train to a ballgame to a ledge on a building. He also enjoys finding the two policemen who look for Marvin as he moves from locale to locale. I don't mind re-reading this book because of the clever illustrations and appealing New York City backdrops. And after reading the book for the first time, we have make a joke of finding Marvin--I say "Where's Marvin?" and he'll jokingly point to other animals or objects. His enjoyment of this book won't last forever, but it's been providing amusement for a few weeks now.

The Buehner's have created a magical tour of Manhattan with Marvin as a tour guide. My three year old loved to recite the text "Marvin loved the ferry, the sea spray was exhilerating." as well as search the colorful illustrations for that sneaky black cat. This is one of our favorites.

My 4 year old *loves* this book and we spend hours exploring the wonderful illustrations for hidden and subtle pictures. I highly recommend this book for young children and often give it as gifts.