From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K–When Florence eats an entire tin of cookies, her mother tells her that she has to wait one week before she's allowed to have another one. The child tries to explain that her toy monkey, Arnold, ate some, too, but her mother holds firm. Florence, however, has a sweet tooth and stops at nothing for her sugar fix. She pretends to be the tooth fairy, who needs one cookie before she can fly home, and a witch whose magic monkey will turn her mother into a frog if she doesn't give them one. Each time the mother responds with reasons why fairies and witches do not need cookies. Finally, Mom reacts to the latest emergency by making a batch of Magic Monkey Bananas. Parents and children alike will relate to this familiar dilemma. Florence is an all-too-realistic preschooler who has misbehaved and now must pay the consequences. The mother is realistic, too, and even seems to share her daughter's penchant for sweet things. The humor will appeal to children, and Florence's first-person narrative reads quickly and smoothly. The cheery, cartoon illustrations match the light tone of the text, and Arnold captures the spirit of a youngster's beloved toy. Conclude storytime programs about food with this sweet treat.–
Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PreS-K. Little cookie monsters will recognize themselves in this story of Florence, who doesn't mean to eat all the cookies, but does anyway--with help from her stuffed monkey, Arnold. Mom puts the lid on the cookie jar, but Florence tries to get around the ruling. She dresses as the tooth fairy, eager for a cookie after a night of picking up teeth. Mom gives her an apple. She puts on a nurse outfit and says injured Arnold needs a cookie. He gets a bandage. At last a solution is found. No cookies, but Florence and Mom make a healthier snack--chocolate-covered bananas. Florence (and Arnold) come alive in oversize art that resembles the work of Helen Oxenbury. Granstrom shows considerable talent in capturing the moods (and occasional frenzy) that fairly shriek "preschooler." The watercolors skip along the pages with real energy, and Florence's face, even with minimal dot-and-line details, shows maximum expression. A recipe for Magic Monkey Bananas adds a tasty touch.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
