Christelow, E. (1991). Five little monkeys sitting in a tree. New York, NY: Clarion Books.
Interest Level: Ages 5 & under
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Monkeys, Crocodiles, Teasing, Disappearing/Reappearing, Counting, Stories in Rhyme
Plot: Five little monkeys go on a picnic with the mama down by the river. All five monkeys climb a tree over the river and start teasing Mr. Crocodile. One by one, as Mr. Crocodile starts snapping at them, the little monkeys go missing. Mama monkey finds all five little monkeys hiding and tells them not to tease Mr. Crocodile again.
Personal Thoughts: A cute little rendition of the "five little monkeys" finger play. As you may have guessed, the book counts down from 5 to none and back again form 1 to 5. Children will love joining in to repeat the monkeys' "Can't catch me!" and the crocodile's "Snap!". As each monkey disappears, the children will be able to find them hiding in the tree which turns a scary concept into a cute game of hide and seek. While this story is labeled as a "Rhyming Story" only the counting part rhymes, the beginning and end pages of the story don't. The story also has a nice message of listening to your mom and not teasing others. The illustrations, done in ink pen and watercolor crayon, are soft and express the energetic movements of the monkeys wonderfully.
Some Other Books in the "Five Little Monkeys" Series: Go Shopping (2007); Play Hide-and-Seek (2004); Jumping on the Bed (1989); Bake a Birthday Cake (1993)
Author Website: http://www.christelow.com/index.html
Other Books by the Author: Letters From a Desparate Dog (2006); VOTE! (2003) - Booklist Starred Review; Where's the Big Bad Wolf? (2002)
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