Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Board Book) (Board book)

~ (Author) "It was bedtime..." (more)
Key Phrases: five little monkeys

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this zany cumulative verse, five silly simian siblings insist on bedtime mayhem, and--heedless of the doctor's admonition--each suffers the same injury. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- In a brief prelude to the title rhyme, five little monkeys ready themselves for bed, and say goodnight to their mother. Then, really getting down to business, they launch into some serious bed-jumping. Young children familiar with this popular finger play will appreciate Christelow's incorrigible monkeys, jumping with abandon, oblivious to the repeated warning: "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" Newcomers will find the rhyme a delightful discovery which begs to be repeated. With each successive casualty, mother monkey dutifully consults the doctor, and bandages the wounds. Finally, all five battle-weary monkey children are asleep, and mother can go to bed. Colored pencil drawings in soft pastels depict the totally silly but lovable monkey family and its doctor. This is a natural for younger story hours, and can also be used with beginning readers. Whether sublimely happy or ridiculously goofy, Christelow's expressive monkeys pack a lot of appeal. --Corinne Camarata, Port Washington Public Library, N.Y.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 28 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books (March 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395900239
• ISBN-13: 978-0395900239
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,340 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Doctor, ain't there nothing I can take?, June 19, 2005

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Paperback)

If you're an ambitious person with a particular yen to write children's books, there's a sure-fire painless way to do so. Just take an already existing kid's song in the public domain and accompany your own particular brand of pictures to it. Sound easy? Thousands of would-be writers do it every day. Eileen Christelow's a little different, though. When she decided to bring, "Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" to vivid life, she did so in the knowledge that the song itself hasn't much of a beginning or conclusion. Add a little nip here and a little tuck there and voila! Suddenly you've a plausible believable picture book that's so popular that it inspired sequels upon sequels. And it all began right here.

It's bedtime and a family of five monkey siblings bathe, dress, and brush their teeth for slumber. Their mama says good night to them, but it doesn't take long for pandemonium to ensue. If you know the song then you know what happens. One by one the free-spirited primates fall head over heels off the safety of the mattress and land hard on their noggins. With each additional injury the doctor, called by a frantic mama, gives the no nonsense answer of, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!". By the end the multiple concussions render the little monkeys into an obligatory sleeping state. And in the next room? Why there's mama, finally given the chance to do a little bed jumping herself!

Text-wise, I did kind of wish that Christelow had taken the time to make the beginning and ending of the book rhyme. As it stands right now, these words are straightforward descriptive sentences. How hard would it have been to maintain the jouncy bouncy flavor of the song? Not hard. It's a peculiar choice on the part of the author. Still, aside from that this is a fun book. Ms. Christelow's illustrations, all done in some colored pencils, give us some pretty raucous animals. They don't just jump on the bed. They flounce and fly and pounce and fling themselves hither and thither on the bed. I also liked the fact that they weren't all boys. In every other "Five Little Monkeys" representation out there, the monkeys tend to be male. As if girls wouldn't jump on a bed the minute they got a chance. Sheesh.

I find the argument from some parents that this isn't a good purchase because it might give your children ideas TO jump on the bed somewhat silly. Kids like to jump on beds. If they don't do it now, they will sometime in the future. And if you want a story where the consequences of bed-hopping are laid out clear as crystal, I can think of no better cautionary tale than "Five Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed". Seriously, people.

So Christelow drops the ball a little with her lazy writing, but otherwise this is probably the quintessential book version of the Monkey song. It's catchy and fun and a fine l'il ole purchase. Recommended for anyone with a high-spirited monkey of their own.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars memory supports reading, November 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Paperback)

I first read this book to a group of sixteen two year olds. They had a wonderful time echo reading. They were learning and did not even know it. I think books that have expressive, repetitive lines are sensational. I recommend this book for any parent or teacher teaching reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging and humorous tale that entertains repeatedly!, December 8, 1998

By A Customer

This is the first book that my son would sit still for when we read to him. Starting at age 2, he repeatedly asked for the "monkey book"! It's a great story of the monkeys that continued to jump on the bed despite the previous injury of their siblings. Keep an eye on the doctor monkey... He gets more and more exasperated at his young patients and their mother as the story goes on. Highly recommended!