From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6–This well-told and entertaining book of monkey lore draws on pourquoi and folktales, mythology, facts, and trivia. The book is organized geographically, and the author has matched each story with a specific species of monkey. An annotated bibliography gives further details about the stories and Climo's decisions on how to retell them. While staying true to the originals, she adds engaging details and dialogue. In addition to folklore, the reteller includes a number of proverbs, such as "The monkey does not put its paw into the jaguar's mouth twice." Unfortunately, their messages do not always match the themes of the stories they follow, which is slightly jarring. Numerous colored-pencil-and-watercolor illustrations capture the myriad cultures and creatures represented. As a whole, this collection is unique, well written, and fun. Monkeys are a perennial favorite and the book is sure to find many enthusiastic readers.–
Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. As in her
Someone Saw a Spider collection (1985), Climo intersperses a thematically linked gathering of readable-tellable folktales with proverbs, historical incidents, and natural history. The 13 stories, arranged by continent of origin, include a Mayan creation myth, an episode from
The Ramayana, a Liberian variation of "The Monkey and the Crocodile" titled "The Baboon and the Shark," and several trickster tales. In between, children will encounter facts about lemurs, the differences between New World and Old World monkeys, and monkey behavior, as well as notes on slang ("grease monkey," "monkey dodger") and a selection of common folk sayings. Further enlivened by Brooks' witty, precisely detailed watercolors, and capped by source notes. Great for reading aloud.
John PetersCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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