Monkey and Me

Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
We went to see...

A little girl and her toy monkey love imitating different animals, everything from jumping like kangaroos to waddling like penguins! Open this book and play along with them.

Can you guess what animal they are now?

"With a lot of imagination and some creative contortions, a little girl pretends that she and her adored stuffed monkey fit right in with tribes of penguins, kangaroos, bats, elephants and... monkeys. A catchy refrain sets up each scenario: 'Monkey and me,/ Monkey and me,/ Monkey and me,/ We went to see....' Readers can take a moment to guess which species the feisty pigtailed narrator, a Pippi Longstocking in the making, is miming before a turn of the page shows the relevant animals at their antic best. To evoke a mama kangaroo and her joey, for example, the girl stuffs Monkey under her shirt; to become an elephant, she bends at the waist, makes one of her arms a trunk and turns the other into a prehensile tail that pulls Monkey-as-calf behind her. Working in pencil and watercolor, with a palette limited to red, black and brown, Gravett (Orange Pear Apple Bear) portrays the action in a series of exuberant spot sketches set against a white sweep. This approach not only gives the pictures the momentum and spontaneity of roughed-out animation, it also provides readers with step-by-step instruction for recreating at least some of the fun in their own homes. A final spread has girl and toy going 'zzzzzzzz' — but the game has not ended: a real monkey watches them, a huge and contagious grin on his face. Ages 2-6." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Playfully set typography finishes off this fizzy offering, which is perfectly in tune with the way a child's imagination and a beloved toy are all the ingredients needed for happiness." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"[T]he spare, expressive pencil drawings are charming, and the restrained use of watercolor washes heightens their effectiveness. This upbeat picture book has great read-aloud potential for responsive listening and extended play in storytimes." Booklist

Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
Monkey and me,
We went to see...

A little girl and her toy monkey love imitating different animals, everything from jumping like kangaroos to waddling like penguins! Open this book and play along with them.

Can you guess what animal they are now?

Emily Gravett lives in Brighton, England, with her partner, who is a plumber, their daughter, and a dog. The plumber fixes things that leak. Their daughter reads a lot, and the dog spends his time eating small scraps of paper that he finds in the wastepaper basket.