Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do [Paperback]

Eileen Christelow (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Five Little Monkeys Picture Books

It's summer, school is out, and the five little monkeys are bored. "There is nothing to do!" they tell Mama. "Oh yes, there is," says Mama. "Grandma Bessie is coming for lunch, and the house must be neat and clean." Well-meaning as ever, the five little monkeys clean their room and go on to sweep the floors, scrub the bathroom, and pick berries for dessert. But then . . . Children will welcome the return of the five little monkeys, who make the same kinds of messes they do.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-When five bored little monkeys complain of nothing to do, their mother gladly enlists their help in getting ready for Grandma's visit. In a great scurry, they clean their room, scrub the bathroom, beat the rug, and pick berries for dessert. Unfortunately, when they turn to readying themselves, they undo all their good work and muss and muddy the entire house. Wordless final pictures show them cleaning again. This is Christelow's fourth book about these little monkeys, and it's not quite as much fun as the author's earlier efforts, no doubt because of the "housework is never done" subject matter. The ink-and-wash cartoon illustrations, however, are lively and offer much that will amuse, such as each little monkey pointing in blame at another. This book can be enjoyed one-on-one or at story hour, and all who read it will gain more appreciation for whoever does the cleaning at home.
Meg Stackpole, Rye Free Reading Room, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. Christelow's five little monkeys make a return appearance, this time to prepare for their Grandma Bessie's visit. When the quintet complain they are bored, Mother has them straighten their room. That task finished, they're bored again, so they're told to clean the bathroom and then pick berries. (Wouldn't most little monkeys stop complaining about being bored at this point?) The monkeys are so dirty that Mother tells them to clean themselves up. In the process, they track up the house, mess up the bathroom, and fling clothes out of their closet as they dress, throwing the house into utter disarray. No wonder Grandma Bessie blinks when Mother tells how they've spent the whole day cleaning. This is pure silliness--just the kind kids like. The monkeys are suitably active, and their mess-making skills, as demonstrated in the watercolor art, are impressive, with clothes scattered everywhere and dirty water overflowing the tub. Perhaps not as noteworthy as the earlier books, but still plenty of fun. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (April 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618040323
• ISBN-13: 978-0618040322
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 9.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Apes & Monkeys > Fiction

More About the Author

Eileen Christelow has created numerous fun and funny picture books, including the Five Little Monkeys series, Author, and most recently, Letters from a Desperate Dog. She and her husband, Ahren, live in Vermont. For more information visit www.christelow.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contentment, June 16, 2000

By 

Leslie Malecha (Faribault, Mn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do (Paperback)

I love reading this book to my 2 year old daughter. She runs around chanting about the 5 monkeys. I first learned of them from my daycare provider, and came to amazon.com to find them. Thank you

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do, March 26, 2006

By 

Antoinette M. Stevens (Santa Rosa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do (Paperback)

We loved it. I ended up getting almost all of them. We had already purchased some of the books in the series from Amazon. They were so enjoyable that I went ahead and purchased the last one. Thank you!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't know that boredom could be so hilarious, February 6, 2003

By 

Boris Bangemann "boyse" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do (Board book)

This book threw me into a laughing fit when I read it to Max in the children's books section of one of the large bookshops in Singapore (the perfect refuge on week-ends during the rainy winter season). Max is two and a half years old, and he is very tolerant of his dad's monkeying around. To judge by the looks I got when I guffawed, it seems that most parents regard reading children's books as a serious matter.

Anyway, kids have a great sense of humor, and they will enjoy it when you chuckle while reading this book to them. The little monkeys of the title are five clumsy but well-intentioned, lovable creatures that mess up the house while trying to please their mom. That is probably what happens to many two or three-year-olds who hope to do the right thing and end up spilling the milk when they try to assist mom. Enthusiasm combined with clumsiness can produce some rather chaotic results. "Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do" teaches parents and kids to see the funny side in such mishaps.

Recommended for parents and children alike.