monkeys – Aussie Reviews

The Very Noisy Bear, by Nick Bland

In the Jingle Jangle Jungle,
there was music in the air…
And it landed in the ears
of a very sleepy Bear.

When Bear is woken by his friends playing music, they suggest he joins in. But when he tries to play the drums, he bashes too hard and knocks them over, when he tries to play the guitar, his claws get tangled in the strings, and when he tries the trumpet, he makes a loud screech that scares the monkeys. Luckily his friends are persistent -and when he’s offered the microphone, Bear soon has everybody dancing when he roars in perfect harmony.

The Very Noisy Bear has all the fun of its predecssors, including The Very Cranky Bear, with humorous rhyming text, gorgeous animal-filled illustrations (rendered in acryclic paint), and a gentle, humorous story.

Lot sto like!

The Very Noisy Bear, by Nick Bland
Scholastic Press, 2015
ISBN 9781743627853

Available from good bookstores and online.

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac, by Gabrielle Wang, illustrated by Sally Rippin & Regine Abos

The Jade Emperor has decided to hold a great race. teh first twelve animals to cross the river will each have a year named after them. the animals are excited – but tehre are thirteen animals competing, so one will miss out. each animal must use their unique skills – or their wiliness – to get themself across the river.

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac is a gorgeous version of a classic Chinese legend, which is both entertaining and educational. Wang’s text captures both the excitement of the race and the character of the thirteen animals, and the illustrations are exquisite. A combination of brush and ink, linocut and digital media creates a satisfying whole with rich oranges and golds prominent. The design and layout makes this a real visual treasure.

First released in 2010, and newly released in paperback, The Race for the Chinese Zodiac is suitable for both private reading and classroom use.

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac, by Gabrielle Wang, illustrated by Sally Rippin & Regine Abos
Black Dog, 2012
ISBN 9781742032092

Available from good bookstores or online.

All Monkeys Love Bananas, by Sean E Avery

Monkeys eat bananas –
EVERY meal,
EVERY day.
For BREAKFAST, for DINNER,
for SNACKS and for LUNCH.
They all crave bananas,
MUNCH
MUNCH
MUNCH!
Well, MOST monkeys do…

Lou McGrew is sick of bananas. He’s had his fill and can’t face the thought of one more banana – so he runs away. When he meets up with his rabbit friend Sue Hoploo she, too, is hiding from dinner – carrots. The pair have a brilliant idea – they’ll swap food. But, when they do they both realise that they prefer their own food.

This humorous ‘greener grass’ tale is a visual delight. From front of book felted embellishments (kids and adults alike will love stroking the monkeys) through to a gorgeous blue spotted monkey and splotchy purple rabbit against black ink landscapes and, of course the yellows and oranges of the food, the whole books is gorgeous to view. Added to that is the humorous rhyming text and a simply silly story which will make youngsters giggle.

This is Sean E Avery‘s first picture book , but it is unlikely to be this talented youngster’s last.

All Monkeys Love Bananas, by Sean E. Avery
Fremantle Press, 2012
ISBN 978192188873

This book is available i good bookstores, or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Monkey Red Monkey Blue, by Nicki Greenberg

Monkey Blue and Monkey Red
just don’t feel like going to bed…
Let’s have a midnight feast instead!

The house is quiet and everyone is asleep except for Monkey Blue, Monkey Red and their friend Chameleon, who is quick to suggest a midnight feast. Soon the monkeys are feasting pm popcorn, spaghetti, hot dogs, fruit and more – but Chameleon is a little too enthusiastic and soon crash splash splatter splotter there is a big foody mess everywhere.

Monkey Red Monkey Blue is a rhythmic, rhythmic celebration of food and of mess which will delight youngsters and the adults who read it aloud to them. The images, combining illustrations with photographs of real food in a digital collage, are full of detailed chaos, which are a real feast for the eye.

Lots of fun.

Monkey Red Monkey Blue, by Nicki Greenberg
Allen & Unwin, 2010
ISBN 9781742374437

This book can be purchased in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

One Funky Monkey, by Stacey McCleary

One funky monkey – as though in a trance.
Moving and grooving, he started to dance.

Late at night, in the quiet of the toyroom, one funky monkey stars to dance. Soon he is joined by two happening hippos, three jazzy giraffes and more and more jiving, boogying and discoing animals in this rhyming, moving counting book.

The illustrations, in the gentle deep blues of night with splashes of colour of the animals illuminated by the monkey’s torch, are perfect for evening reading, and the counting story will encourage children to learn to count from one to ten, and down again from ten to one. The endpapers show the animals stars fast asleep on their shelves, perhaps tired out from all their dancing.

A funky counting book.

One Funky Monkey, by Stacey McCleary & Sue Degennaro
Walker, 2010

This book can be purchased in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Too Many Monkeys, by Margaret Wild

Mum, Dad, Eenie, Meenie and Baby Mo live in the jungle in a tree that is just the right size for a family of five. But when Granny and Grandpa come to visit, suddenly the tree is not big enough any more. So begins a funny chain of events as the family move from tree to tree and more and more relatives come to stay. Each new arrival heralds the need for a new move to a tree with more room.

Youngsters will love the silliness of this cumulative story and will enjoy predicting what will happen next. The ending, which shows the extended family finding a whole clump of trees with branches that touch – allowing each smaller family unit their own tree – is not only satisfying in the context of the story, but also gently paralells the human world, where families can be close yet still give each other room.

The gouache illustrations of Sally Rippin are delightful, with the various monkeys coloured in rich blues, purples and reds, and each monkey uniquely defined. The backgrounds are also bright and the book’s cover, with crowded monkeys within a black frame is eye-catching.

Like all of Margaert Wild’s picture books, Too Many Monkeys is bound to be a success.

Too Many Monkeys, by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Sally Rippin
Omnibus, 2004